With the unending march of new technology, it's gradually becoming much easier to monitor your carbon footprint and energy expenditures, and to take steps to decrease them. By using the new online tool from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), called the Energy Star Home Advisor and released on Dec. 8, Americans will now be able to enter information about their home into their computer and receive personalized advice for updating their homes' energy efficiency.

Homeowners can get the process started by visiting the tool's new website, where they will be guided through the process of creating a profile for their home. This includes information like zip code, how the home is heated and cooled, and other relevant information that can be used to determine the current energy efficiency of the home. Once the profile has been created, the tool recommends home improvements and prioritizes them based on the amount of energy they will save. Over time, homeowners can return to the tool and enter updated information about repairs they've made, which is fed into reports on how much energy they have saved so far. These reports can eventually become useful in selling the home, if desired.

This announcement came as a part of the EPA's Energy Efficiency Action Week, where local EPA offices step up their outreach efforts and lead events about energy efficiency. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy remarked on the lifestyle benefits of low energy use for homeowners: "When homeowners take advantage of this important tool and increase the energy efficiency of their homes, many families will notice savings on energy bills and improvements in the comfort of their homes."

For help determining how energy efficiency measures can be implemented in your home, contact Alban Inspections for an energy audit today.