You may have never thought about having your home inspected and audited for energy use. However this could be a very useful practice if you want to make sure that you’re home is as energy efficient as possible.
An energy audit can be very extensive, consisting of a very thorough and complete inspection done by a professional, or it can be very basic. It really just depends on how serious you are about keeping your energy use as low as possible.
A simple energy audit would simply consist of an auditor taking a brief walkthrough of the home and pointing out a few areas where you could make improvements to lower your energy bill.
A more advanced energy audit would include a multitude of diagnostic tests including a thermographic inspection using infrared scanners, blower door testing, an inspection of the insulation and HVAC systems.
Should You Hire a Professional?
You don’t necessarily need one of these very thorough and potentially expensive inspections to save energy around your house. There are some very simple tasks that you can do within your home that can offer you energy saving benefits without costing you a lot of money. You can begin to lower your energy use with the most basic of inspections.
Evergreen Insulation will be happy to audit your insulation for free. We can help you to determine if your home might be able to benefit from additional insulation over the course of a quick visit. We can tell you if you may be able to benefit from a little extra insulation in your crawl space, basement, or up in your attic.
Our team members are familiar with the science of heating and cooling the home, and therefore will quickly be able to identify the areas of improvement when it comes to your insulation strategy. They will be able to suggest ways of making your home more comfortable and energy-efficient without breaking the bank.
Professional Standards
If you were to have your energy use audited by a professional energy auditing company, they would use a standard called the home energy rating system, also known as HERs. The person performing this inspection is carefully trained and vetted.
This energy rating system is meant to provide a very comprehensive evaluation of your home’s energy usage. It can also be useful in the process of planning and constructing new homes. An HERs inspector uses specialized diagnostic equipment to evaluate the home’s energy use and identify problem areas. Having this inspection professionally done, provided that you receive a high score, can also raise the market value of your home.
Pitfalls
While employing the services of a professional energy auditor can be extremely beneficial, don’t allow them to push you to buy any unnecessary services. A good inspector should communicate the intention to sell any products from the start of the meeting.
Be sure to vet potential energy inspectors by asking them about their qualifications. It is important to do your due diligence and ensure the competency of your energy auditor so that you may acheive the best possible results.