Home Energy Audit Companies

A home-energy audit can save a homeowner money in the long term by reducing bills for heat and electricity. Home-energy auditors use devices such as blower doors and infrared cameras to determine whether a house is energy efficient and to locate the source of leaks so they can make recommendations about repairs and upgrades.

Home Energy Audits

Homeowners usually decide to have a home energy audit done because they're paying too much in heating bills. In some cases, they might already have spent money replacing windows or buying new heaters without seeing a substantial reduction in their heating costs. In other cases, they might be hoping to avoid any large expenses by finding out exactly what needs to be done before calling a contractor. This is generally a smart course of action, because the savings from getting the right work done can be substantial.

Auditing Techniques

Home-energy auditors use three primary types of equipment in their work. The most common option is a blower door, which is a door-mounted fan designed to pull the air out of the house so the auditor can measure the rate and determine whether there are any leaks. Some auditors use a duct blower instead, but the principle is the same. Finally, many auditors use an infrared camera. Areas with leaking heat show up as darker patches on infrared pictures, allowing the auditor to pinpoint exactly where the problem exists.


The biggest obstacle to starting your own home-energy audit company is that many of your competitors will do the job for free or for very little money because their ultimate goal is to sell some other service such as window replacement. A standalone home energy audit can cost between $600 and $800, and the auditor either has to work alone or pay assistants to help him, reducing his profit margin. The presence of assistants can also increase the auditor's potential liability from any accident that may occur while he is in the house. To make a living as an energy auditor, you will need to write a business plan with low overhead costs, and you will need to find ways to stand out from your competitors.

Standing Out

One benefit you can offer a homeowner is your objectivity. If you only conduct home-energy audits without doing any repairs or replacements yourself, you can save homeowners money because they can rely on your assessment. A free energy audit might look appealing to the homeowner, but if it leads to $15,000 of unnecessary window replacement work without lowering his heating costs, then it can hardly be considered a savings. When presenting your proposal, you must educate the homeowner on the high costs of getting the wrong work done, and the benefits of a neutral and reliable home-energy audit.