CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With temperatures climbing into the 90s, the heat is not just uncomfortable, it is showing up on energy bills across the Carolinas. Duke Energy says a free home assessment program can help customers cut costs before summer peaks.
JB McLaughlin, an energy auditor with Duke Energy’s Home Energy House Call program, walked WCNC Charlotte through some of the most common, and overlooked, drains on a home’s cooling efficiency.
One of the first things McLaughlin checks is airflow. A dirty or clogged air filter forces a system to work harder than it needs to, driving up energy use and cost. He said swapping out filters regularly is one of the quickest fixes a homeowner can make…