Alban Home Inspection Service Develops Strategic Partnership to Help Homeowners Save on Rising Energy Costs
Frederick, Md - Through an alliance between Alban Home Inspection Service and Home Energy Team, budget-conscious homeowners in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia can now protect themselves against energy cost increases. This alliance provides a one-stop solution to reducing energy bills and managing homes' energy efficiency. Loss of energy in homes results in thousands of dollars wasted annually.
Building Energy Pros is a network of energy auditors and contractors who work together to help homeowners solve energy-related issues. All auditors and contractors are independent and have all the necessary licensing, insurance and accreditations to perform the work required. As independent contractors, their responsibility is to the homeowner. Homeowners benefit by having a one stop shop to perform energy audits and needed improvements, delivered with the highest integrity. "We are pleased to develop this strategic alliance with Building Energy Pros," said Arthur Lazerow, President of Alban Home Inspection Service. "These solutions can help save homeowners money on their energy bills, help protect the environment, and make their homes more comfortable to live in."
Through Alban Home Inspection Service, an independent energy auditor will perform in-home evaluations, the first step in the process. The Alban Chief Energy Auditor and Inspector, Joe Dempsey, is in process of obtaining his certification by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®) to become one of the first RESNET certified energy auditors in the area. RESNET's mission is to ensure the success of the building energy performance certification industry. During an audit, Dempsey uses diagnostic equipment to evaluate the performance of each customer's home and generate a customized list of improvements. It is not always easy to pinpoint the problem, but fixing it can make a home more energy-efficient and comfortable. "During this period of recessionary pressures on families, the energy audit is inexpensive and many of the suggestions can be accomplished with minimal expense," said Dempsey.
Inspections are made both outside and inside the home. The thermal boundary, also called the "envelope" or "shell," is made up of the outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors, and floors of the house. Air leaks through the envelope and inadequate insulation are two common problems in many homes and can lead to discomfort and high energy bills. When the home envelope is performing well, it will help keep homeowners comfortable while keeping energy bills low during the hottest and coldest times of the year. Energy audits are an effective way to identify the root cause of energy loss in a home and an associated home improvement plan to mitigate those losses.
Energy audits should be conducted regardless of the age of the home, as newer homes are not exempt from energy leaks. They are also paramount whether you live in your home, or if you are in the market to buy or sell. As a seller, your home will have a differentiating market advantage with an energy audit. As a buyer, you want to request an energy audit as part of your discovery process.
Homeowners who want to proceed with the Alban auditor's recommendations have a network of independent contractors and service providers who have been vetted by Building Energy Pros to meet specific professional and ethical standards. "All contractors within the Building Energy Pros network have undergone a thorough investigation with references checked," said Sean Zobaa, Vice President of Building Energy Pros. In addition to being eligible for tax credits for energy improvements to their homes customers may also be eligible to receive a rebate for the work performed-by selecting a contractor from the network that is marked with an R (Rebate) on the homeenergyteam.com web site. "This is an excellent way to cover the cost of improvements," said Zobaa. To learn how you can start saving money visit HomeEnergyTeam.com.
Homeowners can schedule their energy audits by calling 1-800-309-6006 or at http://www.HomeEnergyTeam.com/schedule.html
We were unaware of what was involved in an energy audit and your audior took the time to explain everything. We were impressed with the report which told us the areas in which we need to take action on. He never pressured us to use any particular contractors, he just suggested that we go to the Building Energy Pros web site to select contractors of our own choice. He did an excellent job and we HIGHLY recommend the Building Energy Pros. We already have recommended them to several of our neighbors. Again, EXCELLENT JOB!
Cynthia Simpson
The Building Energy Pros auditor was very knowledgeable. I was VERY HAPPY with him. He promptly E-mailed my energy audit report to me and I will consider all of his recommendations.
Tom McGee
We found out that our house really has no energy problems. We are happy to know that we
Leslie Stewart
I was very satisfied with your energy auditor. He was very qualified and spent a great deal of time with me. The energy audit was very informative.
P.B.
The energy auditor was very good and helpful. He keeps in touch with me to answer any of my questions.
D.G.
I was very satisfied with my energy audit. The auditor gave me some tips on attic insulation that were very helpful.
R.G.
I was very satisfied with my energy audit. Thank you!
R.S.
Very good service! I am going to replace the windows as the auditor had suggested.
D.W.
I was very happy with the energy audit. THANKS!
A. M.
My energy audit was very helpful. Joe Dempsey, your auditor, identified some structural problems that I was not aware of and explained to me why I need more insulation.
J. F.
The auditor was EXCELLENT! He spent ALOT of time with me. I am going to take 3 to 4 of his suggestions and correct these small items to save on my energy bills.
M. B.
The auditor did a GREAT JOB! He knew a lot about older homes, which we have. The report was very comprehensive. Thank you!
Vicki Nez/at
Your energy auditor was very nice and helpful. He answered all of our questions. We will recommend Building Energy Pros to our friends and neighbors.
Katherine McCaffrey
The auditor did a TERRIFIC JOB! The report was FANTASTIC! I will make all the repairs he suggested. I will definitely recommend him to everyone I know that could benefit from a home energy audit.
Steve Sleigh, Chevy Chase
The energy auditor was very professional and I am very satisfied with both the energy audit and the report I received. I will be referring the Building Energy Pros.
Tim Clary
I was very satisfied with the auditor. He was great and gave me some very valuable information. I will refer him to people I know who may need a home energy audit.
Willie Gantt
Your home energy audit proved to be very informative and helpful. I was not aware of the updraft created inside our walls because of the balloon framing construction. You said that that can cause heat to be pulled out of the house with the draft going up inside the walls and should be re-mediated. You also said that the attic insulation was insufficient and that fiberglass batts can leave spaces for around the edges causing heat loss and that it should have blown in insulation on top of what was there to seal the whole attic and increase the r factor. After going over your findings and telling me how you would fix the problems you told me how I could do it myself with stuff from the Home Center and for a quarter of the cost. Well, I did. I went into the basement and filled the bottom of the wall joist with unfaced insulation where they set on the sill plate. I then cut one inch foam board the size for each space and set it in and the sealed the edges of that with expanding foam as well as the sill plate to the foundation. I also sealed the sill plate to the foundation where the joist ran along it, as well as the top of those joist where it made contact with the subflooring. Next I went to the home center and rented their blown insulation machine and got ten bales of the insulation. I filled the attic on top of the batt insulation with about six inches giving another r-19 factor on top of the r-19 that was there. You said that the blown in would also help seal the heat loss around the edges of the batt. The work in the basement cost $144.00 and the work in the attic cost $328.00. After the 30% federal energy tax credit it will end up costing me about $330.00, which you said I should recover in savings in the first year. Thank You for all your advice and expertise. You made me aware of things I should consider and did.
Tommy Thompson