An energy audit can help new homeowners save money — not just through energy efficiency but with tax credits and more. However, an energy audit is not a required step in the homebuying process. Data also reveals that low-income households spend a larger share of their income on energy costs when compared to other households and that Georgia ranks in the top 5 for states with the highest energy burden. Cosco Jones, the owner and a consultant at Jones Sustainable Solutions Group, discusses what a proper "energy audit" should look like, and how poor energy efficiency has long-term consequences for a homeowner's budget and wellbeing.

Plus, a chain-link fence separates a community garden from I-20. Mozley Park residents who are members of the Five Mile Project (5MP) have been advocating for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to install noise barriers in their neighborhood. As we feature some of “Closer Look’s” most memorable conversations, we revisit Rose’s conversation with 5MP members Mia Pennington and Keith Palmer. They talk more about the noise concerns and efforts to beautify their neighborhood.