What is a Home Energy Audit

Most people don’t know where their home is wasting energy until they start looking. An energy audit helps you see behind the walls, under the floors, and inside the systems that quietly impact your bills. It’s not just about adding insulation or changing a thermostat. It’s about understanding how the pieces work together and spotting the gaps you didn’t know you had. At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, in Los Angeles, CA, we offer home energy audits that help you get answers without guesswork.

What a Home Energy Audit Looks Like From Start to Finish

You don’t have to know anything about insulation or ductwork to benefit from a home energy audit. The process starts with a professional auditor walking through your space and spotting what you can’t see from the thermostat. An auditor uses tools that measure how air moves through your home. They test for temperature differences, pressure leaks, and areas that lose or trap heat.

Some use infrared cameras to show where drafts or hot spots are hiding behind walls. Others run a blower door test, which temporarily lowers indoor pressure and shows how much air slips in through the cracks. The goal is to map out which parts of your home are working well and which ones are making your energy bills climb. By the end, you will have a clearer idea of where energy slips away and what it would take to fix that. The process doesn’t guess – it measures.

Why You Shouldn’t Just Rely on Your Energy Bill

A high utility bill can point to a problem, but it won’t tell you what kind. If your heating or cooling costs keep rising, that doesn’t always mean your equipment is the issue. You might have insulation gaps, window leaks, or ventilation problems that force your system to work longer than it should. A home energy audit connects those dots. It gives you more than a rough guess; it shows you how different parts of your house affect each other.

For example, a poorly sealed attic can pull cold air up and away from your living space, even if your AC runs nonstop. You end up paying more for comfort you don’t feel. Without a home energy audit, you’re stuck playing a guessing game with repairs, upgrades, or temperature settings.

Hidden Problems You Can’t Spot Without One

It’s easy to overlook the small things. A vent blocked by a piece of furniture might seem harmless, but it changes how air moves through your whole home. A room that always feels hotter or colder could be a sign of duct leaks, not just bad airflow. A home energy audit catches the quiet problems. These are the ones that don’t trip a sensor or show up as a puddle. They might be uneven insulation in your walls, outdated light fixtures pulling more power than needed, or gaps in old weatherstripping. Even something as simple as a bathroom fan that vents into the attic instead of outside can throw off your humidity and heating balance. The audit helps you stop guessing and start seeing how these parts work together. You get a full picture, not just a to-do list.

Big Improvements Without Big Renovations

You don’t need to gut your house to see a difference. Small changes often deliver the best returns. After a home energy audit, you might seal a few ducts, add insulation above your garage, or swap out old bulbs for LED ones that use a fraction of the power. These aren’t flashy upgrades, but they are important. You feel fewer drafts, your system cycles less often, and your bills reflect the changes faster than you might expect. Some improvements might involve adjusting your water heater settings or adding weatherstripping to a basement door..

Who Should Think About Scheduling One

It’s easy to assume a newer home runs efficiently, but that’s not always the case. Construction shortcuts, oversized systems, or poor duct design can show up within a year or two of moving in. If your home feels uncomfortable despite a decent system, an audit can show you why.

Any time your utility bills feel high for the season, your comfort varies from room to room, or your HVAC runs more than it rests, you’re probably due for an audit. Even if you’re not noticing problems, audits help you stay ahead of issues before they cost you. And if you’re about to sell or renovate, an audit helps you make smart decisions that can boost your home’s value without throwing money at the wrong problems.

The Federal Tax Credit for Energy Audits

One part of home energy audits that often gets missed is the financial incentive. Under the ENERGY STAR program, there’s a federal tax credit available for homeowners who complete a qualified audit. Currently, you can claim 30% of the audit’s cost, up to $150, if the audit meets IRS guidelines. The technician must provide a written report outlining suggested upgrades, and the audit must follow specific guidelines to qualify.

This credit falls under the Inflation Reduction Act and gives you a little breathing room on your tax return for choosing to understand how your home uses energy. It’s not a rebate at the time of service, but it helps offset the cost when you file. If you’re already interested in tightening up your home’s energy use, the credit adds a bit more motivation to get it done sooner rather than later.

What an Auditor Might Recommend Next

After the audit wraps up, you won’t be left in the dark. The technician usually gives you a report that breaks down what they found and what they suggest fixing. Some of those items might be as simple as resealing windows or replacing worn-out insulation in the attic. Others might involve adjusting your thermostat programming or replacing a bathroom vent fan that’s underperforming.

You don’t have to complete everything at once. Many homeowners take the list and work through it in phases. If you decide to do more complex upgrades, like replacing a water heater or upgrading your HVAC system, you can pair those with rebates or additional credits, depending on what you install.

When You’ll Notice a Difference

Some changes show up on your next bill. Others take a few weeks of hot or cold weather to really feel. Sealing leaks, fixing ducts, or improving insulation usually lowers energy use right away. You might notice the temperature stays more stable, your system doesn’t cycle as often, or certain rooms feel more comfortable.

If you combine the audit with follow-up improvements, you can track how each one affects your usage and comfort. That kind of feedback helps you stay motivated to keep going. It’s satisfying to know the work you did last month is still making a difference this month. The audit starts the process, but the changes you make afterward carry the impact.

Schedule Your Home Energy Audit Today

When your home isn’t performing the way it should, small changes rarely go far without a full picture. A proper audit lays that out clearly, showing you what matters and what’s just noise. In addition to home energy audits, Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric also provides comprehensive HVAC services, like duct sealing improvements to help your home run better year-round. Schedule your audit with Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric and take the guesswork out of your comfort zone.