Green Audit Could Save You Green

If you own a home, it's important to keep your house running efficiently with your energy use. But how do you know if you have leaky ducts, poor insulation or just old appliances that make your power bills sky high? We have the "green" answers and they might surprise you.

We're here in Greenville to show you how this homeowner was able to save 50 percent on her energy bill simply by doing a home energy audit, in this week's go green save green.

“I try to do what I can to save the planet and this was an extra step in that direction for me.”

Jodie Appel owns At Peace Massage Therapy in Greenville...but she wasn't quite "at peace" with her power bills.

“I just bought my home and knew that my bills were outrageous from last year and thought there was obviously something I could do to help that,” explains Appel.

So she got a home energy audit to find out where she could save some green.

“I’m excited to get money back on those bills in the end instead of having to pay out again.”

“Anywhere there was a hole in the floor, we sealed that up.”

Dean Benton of Benton Green Energy took a closer look at Jodie's house.

"She had the equivalent of about a five by five window open in her house year round,” says Benton.

That's how much energy she was losing and money she was wasting.

“After he had left, I thought maybe this won't save that much and only a little bit...but now looking back at the bills, I think it's cut it more than 50 percent with what he's done,” says Appel.

By wrapping air ducts, spraying new insulation, even sealing up the attic, Jodie's power bill was cut in half.

“We specifically determine which measures you can take that will get you the fastest payback on your investment,” explains Benton.

With high tech equipment like blower doors and thermo graphic imaging, Benton's job is to find the leaks and fix them.

“It takes the guesswork out of it. You're not just sitting there thinking should I spend 20,000 dollars on windows or should I buy a new heat pump,” says Benton.

And getting her energy audit was the perfect way for Jodie to go green.

 “That's kind of what I stand for in my business and the way I live my life,” says Appel.

Home energy audits can also give you savings on your tax returns. By spending money to make your house more energy efficient, you can get money back from Uncle Sam. Click here for more tax saving info.