Why do I need an energy audit?
An energy audit will provide valuable insight in determining the key components that are negatively affecting the comfort, performance and energy efficiency of your home. A Home Energy Audit may be advisable if you have experienced a combination of the following issues:
- High energy usage
- Drafty rooms
- Heating & cooling systems constantly run
- Significant temperature variances between rooms
- Moisture on the windows
- Excessive dust
- Inability to maintain consistent house temperatures
- Dry indoor air (winter season)
- Cold floors (winter season)
- Peeling paint (exterior)
A Home Energy Audit can identify the source of these issues, allowing you to perform the most effective improvements to make your home healthier, more comfortable and more energy efficient
A home energy audit is often the first step in making your home more efficient. An audit can help you assess how much energy your home uses and evaluate what measures you can take to improve its efficiency. But remember, audits alone don't save energy. You need to implement the recommended improvements.
A Home Energy Audit is a comprehensive review of the energy consumption of your home. They can be conducted in two ways:
- Self Assessment:
- In Home Energy Audit:
Self Assessment:
A self assessment is essentially where the homeowner completes a questionnaire (usually online) on their energy usage practices. This includes a review of electric and gas bills over a period of time.
- Energy Star offers one online tool that measures your home versus other similar homes: Energy Star Yardstick
- The Home Energy Saver is another online tool for self home energy analysis: I highly favor this one because it is much more detailed, however it does take a bit longer to complete. Home Energy Saver
- Your local utility or state might also offer their own tools you can use.
Pros and Cons of Self Assessment
- Pros –
- This is a no cost approach to begin to understand your home and family’s energy efficiency.
- These tools are usually user friendly and rather quick to complete.
- Cons –
- These tools are limited in what information they can provide.
- They are only as good as the data that is entered, as most homeowners do not have experience collecting the data that these assessments need.
- Lastly, they are limited in scope as to how to identify the specific problem areas (where air may be leaking in/out of your home).
In Home Energy Audit
If you are interested in getting specific recommendations for improving the efficiency of your home, consider hiring a professional Home Energy Auditor. A professional auditor can use a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of your home. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, duct blasters, and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation. They also use software to help in the calculation of the energy efficiency of your home.
A Home Energy Auditor should be certified through either RESNET (Residential Energy Services Network) or BPI (Building Performance Institute). These agencies are directly partnered with most Federal (DOE and EPA) and State agencies that are directing home energy improvement initiatives. This is a rather new and fast growing field which has allowed many “weekend” home improvement specialist to say they are home energy auditors. If they cannot provide documented certification from one of the previous noted groups, then find another auditor. One further tip, if the auditor offers to bid on the corrections he identifies, then he is probably not looking out for your best interests. A Home Energy Auditor should be an unbiased third party inspector, just like any other home inspector.
Home Energy Auditors can be easily located by searching for “home energy auditor your city” on your favorite search engine.
Pros and Cons of an In Home Energy Audit
- Pros –
- You will get a full understanding of where your home is leaking energy.
- The person conducting your audit is certified and trained by an agency that is Federally accredited.
- You should receive a report describing and explaining the audit, with pictures that you can pass onto a contractor so they can bid specifically on what you need…not what they say you need.
- In an increasing amount of cases, the cost for a Home Energy Audit is becoming eligible for a State or Local tax credit.
- Cons –
- Costs usually begin at approximately $300 for an average size home (however you should recover this cost in energy savings within a year)
As you can see, I highly favor the employment of a Professional Home Energy Auditor. The benefits and detail they can provide are unmatched.
When should you do an energy audit?
There is never a bad time to do an energy audit. The sooner you do one and make the recommended changes to your home/lifestyle, the sooner you begin saving money and reducing your energy usage. Many home owner’s, especially in colder climates, wait until the colder months to make have audits or make the necessary changes. I will remind you, that the cold air that is getting in your home in the winter is just like the warm air that gets in during the summer months.
Another good time to have an energy audit is when you are purchasing a new home. Energy costs generally range between 20-30% of your monthly mortgage costs and should be a consideration when buying a new home and your monthly budget. Some banks offer Energy Efficient Mortgages.
Tips for Finding a Contractor
- Ask neighbors and friends for recommendations
- Look in the Yellow Pages
- Focus on local companies
- Look for licensed, insured contractors
- Get three bids with details in writing
- Ask about previous experience
- Check references
- Angie’s List
- Check with the Better Business Bureau
