Duke Energy offers free money-saving home inspections

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Continued heat is keeping air conditioning units running and bills growing higher. While it can feel almost impossible to get your energy bill down this time of year, Duke Energy’s free in-home assessments can help find opportunities throughout your home to save when every dollar counts.

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During a free in-home assessment, an energy advisor comes to your home to check for inefficiencies driving up energy use and, in turn, money.

Auditors check everything from attic doors, window caulking and furnaces to your HVAC system and showerheads. A thermogun is even used to see how much heat is coming through places it shouldn’t be coming from.

In every home, the thermostat accounts for about half of your energy bill. Caroline Fountain with Duke Energy said that’s due to your temperature setting, along with your unit working against humidity, trying to make its way into your home. Fountain says 30% or more of an air conditioner’s capacity can go towards removing moisture. 

“July and August, those are typically the hottest months that we see across the Carolinas,” Fountain said. “And so that means that your HVAC unit is going to be working overtime. Even in the evening overnight hours, you’re not really getting much below 70 degrees.”

Your water heater is another big user of energy, and it doesn’t hurt to put a cover on it to keep heat from escaping. Adding weather stripping to your door can help keep cool air from getting out.

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“The energy advisor went through the house, looking at things like windows and doors and HVAC units, looking at the air filter,” Fountain said. “There’s all these kind of small things that can add up to significant energy savings.”

Energy advisors have a number of items they can install during an in-home assessment free of cost. Those include weatherstripping, smart power strips, furnace filter whistles and even showerheads. 

Smart thermostats can also make a difference by automatically adjusting temperatures in your home. Duke Energy offers rebates and bill credits when you buy a smart thermostat through them or join their Power Manager program.

The utility company also has programs for people who need help with their bill. Click here for those programs.

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