These home improvements can help you reduce your utility bills.

If you want to reduce your utility costs at home, you can check your energy efficiency.

If your air conditioner is not the right size, if your house is not well insulated or you still use incandescent lighting, you could unintentionally increase your energy costs.

The solution is to conduct an energy audit of the home, according to Steve Chalk, a former Acting Assistant Deputy Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Chalk retired on May 31st.

A professional home energy appraisal could cost around $ 400, according to Chalk, based on your residence and where you live. However, subsequent home improvements could help you reduce your energy consumption – and your utility bills by 20% to 35%.

Ministry of Energy estimates show that consumers can save an average of $ 105 to $ 627 on their annual bills.

"You could easily have a return on your investment for that [badessment] Chalk said: "In a few years, you will save money in the long run, but your home will be more comfortable and the quality of your air will be better."

While the official start of summer is coming in a few weeks, now is the time to verify that you are using the right air conditioners.

Many homeowners make the mistake of having an air conditioning system too bulky and therefore do not work as long as the smaller ones.

"[That] It may seem energy efficient, but it is not, "said Chalk.

In this case, your house is very quickly filled with cold air, which generates a surplus of moisture, condensation and even mold, he said.

Homeowners in colder climates should also make sure they are properly insulated. The addition of attic insulation, for example, can give rise to a "fairly rapid return on investment," Chalk said.

Clogging leaks in heating and cooling ducts or crawl spaces can also help limit energy losses.

Once you've plugged any leaks, the next step you should consider reducing your energy costs is to replace your appliances.

In addition to improving your air conditioning, you should also look at your water heating system. If it is broken or old, a new one could provide three to four times more efficiency, Chalk said.

Lighting is another area in which improvements can generate significant savings, Chalk said. Moving to LEDs from incandescent lighting can increase efficiency by about 85 percent, he said.

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Other small changes can add up. This includes programmable thermostats or power strips to help manage the power consumption of equipment that stays on continuously.

One thing to look for when buying new appliances: the Energy Star label. According to Chalk, products with this sticker tend to be more energy efficient. Plus, labels tell you exactly how much you'll save each month.

The Energy Star government website also provides additional information on home energy upgrades.

Other tips:

• It is possible to bring some of these improvements yourself, especially if you already know the hotspots of your home. However, hiring a professional to perform an energy badessment of your home can help you better understand where energy is going in your home. Experts can perform a blower door test, which helps identify exactly where air leaks occur.

• Start by stopping existing leaks before upgrading appliances, Chalk recommends. "With energy efficiency, the recovered investment is quickly recovered," he said.

• Check if there are local incentives that can help offset the energy efficiency and upgrading of renewable energies. The DSIRE website allows you to search for policies and incentives by state. These options can help ease the burden of the cost of housing valuation, said Chalk.