If you know you want a solar energy system, we’re glad to design and install one for you.

But if you tell us that you want to save money or do something for the planet, solar might not be your best choice or your first one. That’s why Switch has partnered with a few of the area’s best home energy auditors: to help you make informed choices that will help you reach your goals. These auditors don’t do any energy improvements themselves, so they have no motive to recommend anything you don’t need. (Your local utility company or municipality might offer free audits. Check before hiring someone.)

The Benefits of a Home Energy Audit and Home Energy Improvements

By following the steps recommended by a home energy auditor, you can:

•    Save money and the environment
•    Make your house more comfortable
•    Make your house healthier by improving indoor air quality
•    Decrease maintenance and avoid expensive repairs

How much difference can these steps make? According to the Maryland Energy Administration, home energy savings range from 10% to 40%, while a modest 20% energy savings in the typical Maryland home will save 6,350 pounds of CO2 (the equivalent to taking a car off the road for half a year).

How to prepare for a home energy audit

The Maryland Energy Administration suggests these steps:

•    Have a recent utility bill from your gas, electric, and oil companies
•    Note any drafty areas or rooms that are often too hot or too cold
•    Remove clutter and obstructions around water heater, AC units, and furnaces
•    Close all windows and outside doors
•    Shut fireplace dampers, fireplace doors, and wood stove air intakes
•    Remove all ashes from fireplaces
•    Remove anything you do not want your Home Energy Auditor to see (The contractor will need to go into every room and closet in your house, as well as the basement and crawlspace.)

Do a Basic Energy Audit and Improvements Yourself – or Have Switch Do It for You

You can also do a pretty good basic energy audit yourself. The problem is that you have to follow through with the improvements -- and the most cost-effective improvements involve attending to small, time-consuming details in your attic or crawlspace or standing on ladders and other things no one enjoys and not everyone can do.

So Switch also offers another first step. For not much more than the price of a home energy audit, we’ll attend to all those gritty details for you. We’ve been around houses enough to know where the problem areas are and how to fix them.

Ask us for details.