GETTING STARTED 

A home energy audit is a great place to start. Many of the programs listed here require an audit before you get started, so be sure to read the eligibility requirements and set one up. This process is often free or discounted through the efficiency program, and the auditor will present you with a range of options to improve the energy performance of your home or building.

An easy to use reference guide with links to qualified auditors in your region, visit Energy Upgrade California at https://energyupgradeca. org/overview.

After your audit, it’s time to get started. Work your way down the list as you make improvements and want to do more. The more you do, the more you save. Click on the links to learn more about each of the kinds of improvements – starting with things you can do on your own right now!

• Ten low- or no-cost things you can do right now to save money on your utility bills, no professional help needed
• Seal up places in your home where air leaks
• Improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment
• Recycle old energy-guzzling appliances, and/or replace with an “energy-sipping” model
• Generate your own clean, renewable energy

Retrofitting your home is an investment that will pay dividends in energy savings for years to come. By participating in a retrofit program, you also become part of a broader vision of sustainable buildings in America, as we move toward a goal of reducing energy use in existing buildings 30 percent by 2030.

We will need the technical expertise of auditors, contractors, and manufacturers, coupled with the dedication of citizens who want to improve the energy performance of their homes, to make that goal a reality, and we must start today.