In part one of this two-part series, we covered smaller things you can do on your own in part 1 of this series on reducing inefficient space heating. Scan through that list first if you haven’t.

Now we will talk about things you can do that involves a professional. If you really have a poorly functioning HVAC system or bad infrastructure, you might want a pro to help. Always, let’s always use our money wisely. Let’s start with free and knowing where the money should go first.

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Get a Free Energy Coach

We interviewed Chris Hunt, who is a free energy coach at HEA. These energy coaches are free because they are indirectly paid by utility companies to help with energy efficiency. At the writing of this article, if you are with PG&E, SCE or SoCalGas, you should qualify. Chris mentions some special disqualification conditions, but they are a small minority of cases.

This type of energy coach can come to your home or work via email and phone. Through your utility company, if you grant them the approval, they have access to your energy use data. With that information, they can diagnose a lot about your home even before a in-person visit.

Full disclosure: HEA is a content partner in developing this website, but AskDrPower.com gets no commissions for mentioning HEA or its partners.

HVAC Audit for Energy Savings

A home energy audit of your home’s HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems and the “building envelope” by a qualified professional will provide you with detailed recommendations for improving your living comfort and reducing the amount of energy you use for heating and cooling your home.

There are many good options specifically designed to encourage home heating and cooling upgrades through financial incentives.

If you live in California, Energy Upgrade California (EUC) is a state-wide program that provides rebates ranging from $1,000 to $4,000, depending on the amount of work done. The program is funded with the Federal Economic Stimulus bill (ARRA) and the aim is to help people upgrade their homes and to provide more jobs in this field. To support that aim, EUC has set up statewide and local county websites, with lists of local contractors whose employees have passed certification to perform agreed upon retrofit work, including insulation, new furnaces, duct work etc.

There are also other benefits of building retrofits, including increased comfort (no more cold or hot rooms!), reduced health issues (asthma and allergies), reduced greenhouse gas emissions, etc.

Install More Efficient Heating

Electric heat pump or natural gas space heaters are usually much more efficient than electrically heated floor (aka “electric resistance heating”). An exception would be if you stored heat in a thermal mass. Consider the high operating costs of electric resistance heating and you’ll see that other options are more cost effective in the long run. Reference article on electric radiant floors here, and heat pump space heaters here.

Install a Heat Pump Room Conditioner

Old electric resistance heaters cost much more to operate than newer electric heat pump space heaters like these.

If you rely on an electric resistence space heater, electric blanket or other electric resistence heating device, consider upgrading to a new heat pump room heater and save yourself a lot more money. They are three to four times more efficient than the old types.

And a major bonus is that they cool rooms too! You may also be lowering that summer bill.

Consider a Home Thermal Scan for Heat Loss

In some cases, you may need a thermal scan of your home to understand the temperature difference in you walls, floors and windows. You can search for a good energy auditor or HVAC contractor from this website. We recommend watching this video and reading this article to know what to expect. Specifically, you should be looking for the thermal imaging inspection and depending on the contractor and your budget, you can get a full energy audit (as mentioned above).

Blower Test for Leaks

The most thorough approach is to get a blower door test from an energy auditor, do the upgrades in your home, and get another blower door test. Read this study to know what to expect and what to ask for. Again, if you get an energy audit, this may be one of the tests they further recommend if you have air leaks, but don’t know where it’s the worst.

Review and Balance Air Ducts

Varied room heating and cooling may be due to an unbalanced duct system. You can troubleshoot this for yourself, but it’s much easier with a professional. Here is also a good video showing DIY tips and things you should look out for.

Or get a full HVAC energy audit that we mention above. It often includes this assessment.

Before investing any money, read this article from the EPA, who does not recommend cleaning air ducts unless on an as-needed basis. Balancing is different from a dust cleaning so it’s good to know the difference and their benefits.

Professional Furnace Inspection and Tune Up

Are annual furnace inspections really necessary? We think so, especially if you have high winter bills (unless you know what you’re doing). Read the post for a worthy explanation of the things to look for and what an inspector might do. You can extend the life of your furnace, and make sure you don’t have any dangerous leaks.

Tips for Finding Contractors

Speaking of professionals and contractors, here are two sites with tips on choosing an HVAC contractor: Energy Star tips and ACEEE tips. You can use this checklist from Energy Star to help compare quality contractors.