If you have always wondered how energy efficient your home really is, then now is a great time to find out.  The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund  has teamed up with local electric and natural gas providers to provide comprehensive home energy audits to their residential customers (both homeowners and renters).  If you are a customer of CL&P, UI, Southern Connecticut Gas, Yankee Gas or Connecticut Natural Gas Company and you use either electricity or natural gas to heat your home, you are eligible to receive this service for free.  If you heat with oil, then you will have to pay a co-pay for the service (normally $300, it's just $75 for a limited time).  Either way, this is a great value.

The audits are performed by a authorized contractors who will spend up to 4 hours going through every inch of your home to find any possible energy leaks and fix them.  As part of the overall service they will:

• Seal up any drafts or leaks
• Install energy-efficient light bulbs, shower heads and faucet aerators
• Insulate water heaters and pipes
• Provide tips on how to improve your overall energy usage
• Let you know if you're eligible for rebates on energy-efficient appliances or insulation

Funds for the program are limited, so if you're interested in getting your home audited, you should act soon.  You can find more information and an application by going to your electric or gas company's website.

Our home is getting it's energy audit later this month, so I'll be sure to report on what I learned.  And if you have any great energy saving tips, feel free to share them here in the comments.