This room’s too hot, that one’s too drafty, and that old refrigerator in the garage gulps far too much power.

It might be time for a home energy audit.

Sears is testing out its new audit program in Orange County: For $275, technicians will arrive with high- and low-tech equipment to find out where the “air leaks” are in your home, where the insulation is thin or non-existent, and which appliances ought to be replaced to reduce consumption of energy.

And if you buy $5,000 worth of merchandise from Sears to correct the problems, the $275 fee will be waived.

“It is a test market, and one we fully expect to expand upon and make permanent,” said Steve McClearn, director of Sears’ green home services (Find contact and other information on the program’s Web site).

Before you rush to the phone, however, it might be worth remembering that utility companies such as Southern California Edison offer home energy audits for free.

Their audits do not involve any high-tech equipment, said spokeswoman Vanessa McGrady, and operations such as Sears can provide tests at a far higher level of sophistication.

But the free audit, potentially, comes with free stuff. They might wrap your water heater, for example, to provide greater insulation, or replace your showerhead.

Energy audits aren’t new, but Sears is targeting Orange County, company officials say, largely because fewer such services are offered here. The $275 fee lasts at least through December, and possibly longer, but after that goes up to the standard $550.

If the program is successful, the company will take it nationwide.

One of the big tests involves a “blower door” fan (shown above; photo courtesy of Sears). A high-speed fan blows air from the house out the door; air will be pulled in through any cracks or “leaks” in walls, floors or ceilings as well.

Using smoke or just by touching, they can detect where the leaks are. Plugging them will save energy and potentially make troublesome rooms, whether too hot or too cold, more comfortable.

“Every home has air leaks in it,” McClearn said. “The average home leaks about 60 percent of its air every hour.”

In another test, the technicians can use an infrared camera to, in a sense, peer through your ceiling to see where there are weak points in your insulation — or where there is no insulation at all.

They’ll also check your appliances, and put it all together in a report on your home’s energy efficiency.

Edison’s approach might lack sophisticated technology and equipment, but there is no charge (check Edison’s Web site for energy-saving tips). And Edison’s technicians are likely to correct some of the problems they find on the spot — also for free. They might also make simple suggestions, like drawing the blinds to cool down a room.

“It doesn’t take someone with an electronic thing to tell you, you could draw your drapes,” McGrady said.

Their visual inspection includes appliance checks, and Edison offers rebate programs.

They’ll cart away that old refrigerator, for instance, and give you a $50 rebate for it.

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