Home energy audit worth the cost
Every homeowner can benefit from a home energy audit — whether you’re looking to combat an uptick in your utility bills or you’re simply curious about improving your home’s safety and energy efficiency. And if you’re in the market for a new home, it’s worth considering an energy audit as part of your prepurchase inspection as well.
What is a home energy audit?
A home energy audit is an indepth investigation into the overall energy efficiency of your home’s interior and exterior systems.
The principal goal of an energy audit is to find hidden air leaks. Air leaks cause your heating, venting and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to work harder, thereby increasing your energy bills throughout the year.
A home energy adviser will pinpoint where your home is losing energy and make recommendations to help you save money. And an adviser will look for potential health and safety hazards as well.
In a comprehensive energy audit, your adviser should discuss any concerns you may have, as well as your goals for having the audit done.
The adviser will then perform a room-by-room inspection of the home and conduct a series of tests, including blower door tests in which a fan is placed in the doorway to depressurize the inside of the home.
This test helps locate air leaks and also tests ductwork, humidity levels, air infiltration and insulation levels. Finally, your adviser will perform combustible appliance testing to determine whether gas-fueled appliances are back drafting poisonous carbon monoxide into your home.
While you want to eliminate air leaks, you also want your house to breathe, advisers say. A fully sealed home can be a health hazard, as it can encourage dangerous gas buildups.
So, auditors look at the house as a whole system — looking both at health and safety issues and at ways to improve the overall energy efficiency of your home.
How much does an energy audit cost?
City Green Solutions, a nonprofit that provides EnerGuide home evaluations on the south Island and elsewhere in B.C., charges $375 plus tax, although additional charges can apply. Homeowners can, however, get some of that money back through government and utility rebates.
Energy advisers in B.C. are regulated by the federal government. For a full list of service providers, go to homeperformance.ca/ea.
What are the benefits of a home energy audit?
A home energy audit will go a long way in ensuring that your home is safe from dangerous gas leaks and buildups.
And it will also provide the information you need to improve the comfort and overall energy efficiency of your home.
You could save five per cent to 30 per cent on your energy bill by making energy efficiency upgrades identified in your home energy audit, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
What’s more, any structural or equipment changes you make as a result of your audit may be eligible for rebates. Megan Alderton is a reporter for Angie’s List, a provider of consumer reviews and an online marketplace of services.