There has never been a better time to find out where all the energy your home consumes is going. Energy bills in the US have been inching upwards and our energy needs have also been increasing in many cases. If left to go out of control, your energy bill could be taking up a large percentage of your monthly budget.

Taking the time needed to perform an energy audit can save you hundreds of dollars every year. You may find that a lot of the energy you're spending money on is actually going to waste.

Know How Much Energy Is Consumed

It's not enough to know how much energy your entire household uses, you need to know how much energy is used by each and every device, appliance and lighting. You may not be able to get accurate information on everything, but knowing the power rating of a certain appliance can help you to approximate how much power it uses in a given month.

When you know which appliances or lighting consume the most power, you can start to regulate their use.

Check the Heating and Cooling System

Heating and cooling systems use more energy than most of the other systems you'll find in a typical household. Quite often, the energy that is used up is actually wasted due to inefficiencies and other avoidable losses. Find out if your cooling and heating systems are running as required.

You should also check the doors and windows for air leaks as this can make the heating and cooling in your home very inefficient. Ensure your house is adequately insulated as well.

Avoid Energy Vampires

If you have a washer that doesn't turn off completely but instead goes into a standby mode, you could be wasting a lot of energy. Many modern appliances consume energy even when 'turned off'. Therefore, you should identify these energy vampires and turn them off at the outlet.

Make Use of Power-Saving Modes and Features

You may need to have your computer on round-the-clock but there are moments when you may not be using it. The power-saving feature that comes with such devices can lower their energy consumption when they're not being actively used.

Identify Energy Wastage

If you have high energy bills that you can't explain, you may need to call a heating contractor to assist you to identify the issue. You could need a heating repair or it could be something as simple as a hole in your duct, which can be quite expensive.