What is a Home Performance Energy Assessment?

A Home Energy Checkup or Home Performance Energy Assessment helps owners determine where their house is losing energy and money – and how such problems can be corrected to make the home more energy efficient. A professional technician, like our Energy Auditors at California Energy Consultant Service, can give your home a checkup. Items tested include checking for leaks, examining insulation, inspecting the furnace and ductwork, performing a blower door test and using an infrared camera.

Our Energy Assessment goes into great detail to assess your home’s energy use. The energy auditor will do a room-by-room examination of the residence, as well as a thorough examination of past utility bills. Our professional energy assessments also include a blower door test as well as a thermographic scan.

Preparing for a Home Energy Performance Assessment

Before the energy auditor visits your house, make a list of any existing problems such as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms. Have copies or a summary of the home’s yearly energy bills. (Your utility can get these for you.) Auditors use this information to establish what to look for during the audit. The auditor first examines the outside of the home to determine the size of the house and its features (i.e., wall area, number and size of windows). The auditor then will analyze the residents’ behavior:

• Is anyone home during working hours?
• What is the average thermostat setting for summer and winter?
• How many people live here?
• Is every room in use?

Your answers may help uncover some simple ways to reduce your household’s energy consumption. Walk through your home with the auditors as they work, and ask questions. They may use equipment to detect sources of energy loss, such as blower doors, infrared cameras, furnace efficiency meters, and surface thermometers.

What does this mean for me?

• A professional energy audit gives you a thorough picture of where your home is losing energy and what you can do to save money.
• You can save 5%-30% on your energy bill by making upgrades following a home energy assessment.
• You may be eligible for state, local, or utility incentives to assist with your home energy audit.