3 Benefits of a Home Energy Audit

Through the use of a blower door and infrared camera technology, a professionally trained energy auditor can look behind the walls and ceilings to pinpoint where conditioned air is “leaking” out of the home.

3 Benefits of a Home Energy Audit
Guest Post provided by Jeff Pizzino of ProEnergy

Obtaining a home energy assessment, also known as a home energy audit, is one of the most beneficial steps a homeowner can take. It not only provides vital information that leads to a greener lifestyle but it can also lead to significant cost savings and a much more comfy home.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, an energy audit 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.”

In a home energy audit, you’re given specific, personalized feedback and advice on how to make your home more eco-friendly and efficient. Plus, this important evaluation often reveals problems that, when remedied, add up to great financial rewards over time.

“The very first step for solving a home’s comfort issues and high utility bills is to always start with a home energy audit. It removes all the guesswork,” says Pro Energy Consultants Chief Technical Officer Mark Cannella, who has personally performed more than 10,000 energy audits since 1995.

For homeowners experiencing difficulty heating or cooling rooms, poor indoor air quality or excessive energy bills, then these are signs an energy audit is needed.

During a professional, diagnostic energy audit (much more comprehensive than a free or do-it-yourself energy audit), an energy auditor will walk through your home, room by room, gathering information and data. Everything from the size of your house to the number and size of windows comes into play, and your feedback is important in helping the energy consultant evaluate all of your home’s features. This is an excellent opportunity to mention any energy problems you’ve noticed, whether certain rooms feel drafty or condensation builds up on windows.

Through the use of a blower door and infrared camera technology, a professionally trained energy auditor can look behind the walls and ceilings to pinpoint where conditioned air is “leaking” out of the home. Following the energy audit, you should receive a list of prioritized, recommended improvements to solve any comfort and excessive energy usage issues — all tailored to your specific household needs.

Not only do energy audits result in suggestions for a greener lifestyle but also for major financial benefits. In fact, in most cases, homeowners who implement even some of the recommended changes from an energy audit see immediate cost savings. While energy audits can be performed for a few hundred dollars, the resulting savings can quickly add up. In that way, obtaining a home energy audit is more of an investment than a cost, and it’s an investment worth making.

One buyer-beware tip: It’s best to choose an energy auditing company that specializes in energy audits, as opposed to a home remodeler or insulation company that has added energy auditing as an additional services. That way you’re assured of having an unbiased, independent, third-party evaluation of your home with the focus on truly finding out how to make your home more energy efficient.

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