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Think of a home energy audit as a check up for your house that helps you determine where energy and money are being lost. It will help you discover what problems need to be corrected and how to make your home more energy efficient. An energy auditor is a professional technician that comes to your home to perform the energy audit. The technician performs a variety of inspections both inside, outside, and in your attic.
He will be looking for leaks, examining insulation and duct work, checking out the furnace and water heater, and performing a blower door test using an infrared camera. This camera shows you exactly where your residence is leaking air so there is no guessing. He will also be checking for health safety items. Upgrading your home to save energy can put anywhere from 5 – 30% of your energy bill back into your pocket.
A home energy audit should include the following:
- Analyze past year’s fuel bills to determine base energy consumption
- Interview homeowner to learn about problems and how the home operates
- Explain the audit process
- Conduct exterior inspection
- Health and safety inspection
- Interior visual inspection
- Assess electrical system for safety concerns
- Combustion appliance inspection
- Blower door test
- Analyze findings and create a comprehensive home energy report
You will be surprised to find exactly where your home inefficiencies are. It is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. A professional energy audit will identify a home’s vulnerabilities for around $300 to $500.
Infographic by Sarah Gerrity, Energy Department.
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