22 Mar

Understanding Home Energy Audits

A Home Energy Audit tells you where the energy is being lost in your house. A home energy auditor looks at how the systems in your house are working and gives your house a number similar to a what RESNET rater or a BPI rater would provide. The home energy auditor then makes a determination based on how your systems are working (as a whole) in your house as to what the most cost effective measures are to make your house affordable, comfortable and energy efficient.

energy AuditA Home Energy Audit includes using diagnostic equipment such as a blower door, a volometer, a manometer, a combustion analyzer and an infrared camera to test:

  1. The location and number of air leaks in your house (the envelope)
  2. The leaks in your heating and air conditioning duct work
  3. How effective the insulation is inside your walls and ceilings
  4. Any combustion safety issues or potential safety issues in your house

How much do home energy audits cost? The average estimate and report cost to the homeowner is anywhere from $300 to $750 but sometimes you can find free or almost free energy audits through NYSERDA or your electric provider (in our case its NYSEG).

New York State is considering making a home energy audit conducted by a rater to give an apples-to-apples measurement of how leaky a house is a requirement for all future house sales. Tompkins County is conducting a related study.  In this way all home purchasers will be able to compare the houses they are looking to purchase to find the houses that are the most energy efficient and the ones that are not.

For the houses that are leaky or need weatherization then the home energy auditor will make a recommendation in a report to the purchaser or homeowner as to what needs to be done to make your house affordable, comfortable and energy efficient.

Still have questions? Contact me or schedule your home energy audit now!

Dr. Spray Foam (Mark Gugino)

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