Maybe you've heard about home energy assessments (also called audits or evaluations), but you aren't quite sure what's involved. A home energy assessment can save you a significant amount of money on your energy bills each month, improve your comfort and make your home safer and more durable - all while helping the environment.
For best results, call a professional
A home energy assessment can be as simple as walking around your house with a pad and paper and noting which areas are drafty, and where you're using energy unnecessarily. But for the most benefit, you need to call in a professional.
Auditors use special diagnostic equipment
A certified home energy auditor has been trained to examine your home and your energy usage patterns, and to find areas of excess energy use, inefficient energy use and energy waste. Home energy assessors are trained to use special equipment to test the air sealing of the building envelope and your ventilation system to find leaks, and to determine the effectiveness of the insulation in your walls.
Trained to solve the problems
A home energy auditor:
- Is trained to uncover areas where improvements can be made in order to save energy
- Knows the types of improvements that can address each problem area
- Can suggest various ways to address the issues to stay within your budget.
You get a written report
A home energy assessment includes a detailed, written report which outlines 1) how much energy your home uses; 2) where there is energy loss and how much; 3) specific recommendations to address the problem areas in order to improve your home's energy efficiency.
Recommendations may involve:
- Your home's heating, cooling and ventilation systems
- Ways to make your home more air tight
- Use of energy efficient appliances, and
- Ways to save water and electricity
Pays for itself, often within a year
While a home energy assessment isn't free, it often pays for itself within the first year from the energy savings that result. Many of the home improvements that are recommended in a home energy assessment don't have to cost much money. In fact, some of the least expensive improvements may yield the most savings. And of course, you don't have to make all the improvements at once. Your home energy auditor can help you prioritize the improvements to get the most benefit while spreading the related expenses over time.
Schedule a home energy assessment now with one of our certified, professional auditors.
Home Energy Efficiency Tips:
- General Energy Saving Solutions The Energy Star Program
- Simple Energy Saving Strategies Home Insulation
- Home Assessment Overview Energy Features, Green Your Home
- Energy Efficiency Mortgages & Grants Energy Efficient Mortgage
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