Tamara Sondgeroth at Focus on Energy shows her “happy light,” which helps improve one’s mood and overcome the “winter blues” during the cold, dark months of the year.(PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
As winters officially approaches, homeowners might be searching for ways to save money on their energy bills.
A home energy assessment helps find ways of making homes more energy efficient. Tamara Sondgeroth, director of operations for Focus on Energy, explains energy audits are performed by certified “Home Performance with Energy Star program trade allies — or contractors.
“The biggest thing that we always tell people is that we’re not here to make you uncomfortable; we’re not here to take everybody back to caves and candles. That’s not what we’re about at all,” Sondgeroth says, “We’re about helping educate people and helping you use your energy more wisely.”
An energy audit will cost anywhere between $100 to $300. Sondgeroth urges homeowners to call around. She says energy consultants inspect the home and help identify effective ways to increase home efficiency. Homeowners could see savings on energy bills, plus Focus on Energy offers instant cash-back rewards for upgrading to recommended efficiency measures.
“You have an audit done and they give you a list of things to do,” Sondgeroth says. “That’s probably the best way to get started. They will pin point things for you. You know, you need to add insulation in this corner of your home, or you need to do air sealing, or things of that nature.”
She says sometimes a little caulk goes a long way, rather than completely replacing the windows. Sondgeroth says, mostly, people just want to know whether they are an average, “normal” household.
She says a great place to start is to make that first call.
Focus on Energy is a statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, under the oversight of the state Public Service Commission.