Within the past decade or two, the awareness of environmental conservation has grown. The general population has changed certain behaviors to be more eco-friendly (have you used a reusable shopping bag lately? Or perhaps thrown something in the recycle bin instead of the trash?), and there seems to be a push to conserve and preserve. Here’s an easy way to jump aboard the “save the Earth” train: conserve energy in your buildings. Being more energy efficient is not only good for the environment but GREAT for your wallet as well.
So before you start shortening your showers or creating icicles in the building, the best thing you can do is look into energy audits. Energy audits are professional evaluations of buildings to determine how efficiently they use energy. The company performing the audit will check to see that your building is sealed properly, look for any areas that are allowing for heat loss, and provide a comprehensive list of measures that can be taken to increase the energy efficiency.
Energy audits are beneficial for both residential and commercial properties and will save you hundreds of dollars or more in heating and cooling costs. Many of the suggested measures are small and relatively inexpensive (add insulation, weather stripping, or caulking) but will keep the heat in and the cold out. Even the more expensive fixes (replacing windows, for example) will actually save you money in the long run and recoup the upfront costs.