Asked by: Johara Barret
home and garden indoor environmental quality

Is an energy audit worth it?

42
I took an energy auditing class, and as part of the coursework I conducted a number of audits. The short answer is yes, it is almost certainly worth it. The reason being is that the places where you think your house is losing energy are almost certainly different than where your house actually is losing energy.


Also question is, do I need an energy audit?

While it's possible your home is already conserving energy so efficiently you don't need an audit, most homes consume more energy than they need. An energy audit does more than help you save energy—it increases your personal comfort and the value of your home.

Furthermore, what can I expect from an energy audit? An energy auditor will take a look at your building from the outside. They'll examine a variety of components, including windows, walls, and eaves, to see if they can spot any major issues causing leaks into or out of your home. The auditor will check out the attic (if you have one) to take a look at a few things.

Besides, how much does it cost to get an energy audit?

Energy Audit Costs Per Square Foot. Home audits typically have a minimum cost of $100 to $200 with additional house size increasing the price. For a 1,200 square foot home, expect to pay $100 to $150 while one in the 2,500 to 5,000 square foot range will run $200 to $300.

What does a energy auditor do?

An energy auditor, also known as an energy rater, is a specialized consultant who helps improve the energy efficiency of both residential and commercial buildings. As part of the “green" energy business sector, a career as an energy auditor presents ample opportunities for advancement over the coming decade.

Related Question Answers

Shadia Desyatovsky

Professional

How do I start an energy audit?

To complete your own energy audit, take the following steps.
  1. Step 1: Check Heating and Cooling Systems. Heating and air conditioning is the largest energy consumer in the United States, accounting for around 48% of the average home's energy use.
  2. Step 2: Inspect Insulation and Sealing.
  3. Step 3: Account for Electricity Waste.

Luanna Suso

Professional

How long does an energy audit take?

The length of an audit depends on the size of your facility, your equipment, and your overall energy consumption. A typical Level 1 or free walk-through audit for a small business may take only 1 to 3 hours; you should receive your report in 1 to 2 weeks.

Taibi Carreto

Professional

What does a home energy audit include?

A high-quality home energy audit includes a detailed analysis of your home's main energy. Plus, an audit identifies and eliminates health and safety problems. The main energy features of the home to be evaluated during the energy audit include: Attic Spaces.

Aboubakr Lagayette

Explainer

Will a professional home energy audit save you money?

Upgrades following an energy audit can save you money and improve the comfort of your home. Professional energy assessments generally go 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.

Zhivko Azcue

Explainer

How do I know if my house is energy efficient?

Home Energy Audits: Testing Your Home's Efficiency
  1. A blower door test measures the airtightness of the home.
  2. Low-emissivity window checkers are handheld devices that are placed on the interior pane of a window to detect if a window has a low-emissivity coating.
  3. Infrared, or IR, cameras take infrared images of a house.

Huihui Stel

Explainer

What is the purpose of a home energy audit?

In simple words, a home energy audit is a process that helps you to identify where your home is losing energy and what steps you can take to improve energy efficiency. A home energy audit is something that every homeowner should be doing every two to three years in order to ensure maximum efficiency and spending.

Dewayne Mikhel

Pundit

Why is my electric bill so high?

One of the main reasons your electric bill may be high is that you leave your appliances or electronics plugged in whether you're using them or not. Anything with a clock, such as microwave ovens and coffee makers — and even older technologies, like VCRs — need power to keep time while turned off.

Oliveros Liuzzi

Pundit

How do you measure energy efficiency?

Energy efficiency is calculated by dividing the energy obtained (useful energy or energy output) by the initial energy (energy input). For example, a refrigerator has an energy efficiency of 20 to 50%, an incandescent bulb about 5%, a LED lamp over 30%, and a wind turbine 59% at most.

Adelio Habermalz

Pundit

Are energy audits free?

Many energy service companies and utility programs offer homeowners a free energy audit. Typically, these no-cost energy audits provide generalizations about the energy use in your home. If so, then consider a high quality energy audit that provides better results.

Ignasi Casau

Pundit

What are the types of energy audit?

Energy audits can be characterised into 4 broad types, they are:
  • Benchmarking. Consisting of a whole building energy use analysis, based on the historic utility use and cost and the comparison of the performances of the buildings to those of similar buildings.
  • Walkthrough Audit.
  • Detailed Audit.
  • Investment-grade audit.

Laurena Alcocer

Pundit

What are the benefits of undertaking an energy audit?

What are the benefits of doing an energy audit?
  • It helps reduce energy costs in your facility.
  • With a reduction in production costs, the competitiveness of your company will be improved.
  • It helps reduce the dependence on foreign energy sources.
  • It helps reduce environmental damage and pollution.
  • It can increase the security of your energy supply.

Yuying Shamshurin

Teacher

How much do energy auditors make?

The average pay for an Energy Auditor is $17.98 per hour. The average pay for an Energy Auditor is $42,310 per year. Is Energy Auditor your job title? Get a personalized salary report!

Rkiya Hage

Teacher

What is the purpose of energy audit?

The Energy Audit provides the vital information base for overall energy conservation program covering essentially energy utilization analysis and evaluation of energy conservation measures. It aims at: Identifying the quality and cost of various energy inputs.

Mitsue Jurg

Teacher

Is hers testing mandatory in California?

When building a home, HERS testing ensures that your major appliances and systems meet energy efficient standards. Additionally, homeowners in California are required to schedule a HERS testing whenever a new mechanical system that requires verification or testing is installed in their home.

Izolda Vermeegen

Teacher

What is Home Performance with Energy Star?

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program connects homeowners with experienced and trusted contractors that can help them understand their home's energy use and identify home improvements that increase energy performance, improve comfort and health, and lower utility bills.

Parviz Cheung

Reviewer

How much does it cost to get a blower door test done?

What does it cost? The blower door test costs about $450.00 for a typical house. This includes a report of the air leakage locations and recommendations for the sealing approach. The report lists the sealing measures in a cost efficient priority.

Cirenia Hehrmann

Reviewer

Why is energy audit important?

An energy audit is an analysis of a facility, indicating how and where that facility can reduce energy consumption and save energy costs. Its insight to energy efficiency and conservation can lead to significant savings on the company's utility bill.

Olaia Panal

Reviewer

How do I find a home energy auditor?

You can also find a professional auditor through the Building Performance Institute, the Residential Energy Services Network or on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star website. In our case, we selected an auditor from a list of local professionals approved by our electricity provider.

Cati Ballesteros

Reviewer

What is a certified energy auditor?

Certified Energy Auditor. The Certified Energy Auditor is an individual who evaluates and analyzes how energy is being used in a facility, identifies energy conservation opportunities and makes recommendations where consumption can be reduced or optimized.