Home Energy Audit: Easy 5% Savings

Understanding What a Home Energy Audit Can Do for Your Home

A home energy audit is a comprehensive evaluation, like a wellness check for your home, that identifies where it wastes energy and provides specific recommendations to improve efficiency.

Key benefits of a home energy audit:

• Cost savings: Reduce energy bills by 5-30%
• Improved comfort: Eliminate drafts and temperature inconsistencies
• Better air quality: Identify ventilation and moisture issues
• Increased home value: Make your property more attractive to buyers
• Environmental impact: Lower your carbon footprint

Upgrades identified through an audit can save hundreds or thousands annually while making your home more comfortable. Whether you’re dealing with high utility bills, drafty rooms, or planning a renovation, an audit provides the roadmap to a more efficient home.

As Pam Hutter, principal architect at Hutter Architects in Chicago, I’ve seen how a home energy audit can transform existing homes and inform new construction. My experience designing sustainable, high-performance homes has taught me that understanding your current energy use is the critical first step toward creating an efficient living space.

Simple guide to home energy audit:

• best home improvements for energy efficiency
• energy efficient insulation
• home energy efficiency tax credit

The Professional Home Energy Audit Process: A Step-by-Step Look

A professional home energy audit is a thorough analysis of your home’s energy use by a certified contractor. It’s a deep dive to pinpoint where energy is being wasted and how to make your home more efficient, comfortable, and healthy.

The assessment includes a room-by-room examination, health and safety checks (including combustion safety), and tests for air leakage in the building envelope and HVAC systems. This comprehensive approach provides a clear picture of your home’s energy performance.

To get a visual overview of what a professional home energy assessment entails, we recommend checking out this informative resource: Energy 101 Video: Home Energy Assessment.

Preparing for Your Audit

To make the most of your audit, some preparation is helpful. Gather the following:

• Energy History: A summary of your yearly energy bills for the past 1-2 years.
• List of Problems: Note any drafty rooms, condensation issues, or areas that are too hot or cold.
• Usage Patterns: Be ready to discuss how many people live in the home, your typical thermostat settings, and how rooms are used.
• Clear Access: Ensure the auditor can easily get to the attic, basement, crawlspace, and HVAC equipment.

Key Tools and Diagnostic Tests

Professional auditors use specialized tools to gather objective data about your home’s energy loss.

One of the most crucial tools is the blower door test. A fan mounted in an exterior doorway depressurizes the home, exaggerating air leaks to make them easy to find. The test measures your home’s air leakage rate (ACH50), which helps quantify how much heating and cooling is lost to uncontrolled air movement. For more on air sealing, check out this New air sealing fact sheet.

Another powerful tool is the thermal imaging scan, often used with the blower door. An infrared camera visualizes heat patterns, revealing insulation gaps and air leaks. It’s most effective when there’s a significant temperature difference between indoors and outdoors.

Other specialized equipment may include:

• A duct blaster to measure ductwork airtightness.
• An exhaust fan flow meter to check bath fan performance.
• A combustion diagnostic to ensure heating appliances operate safely.
• A camera scope to inspect inside ductwork or wall cavities.

These tools provide precise data, moving beyond guesswork to pinpoint specific issues.

Understanding the Audit Report

After the audit, you’ll receive a comprehensive report that serves as a roadmap to a more energy-efficient home. It will provide a prioritized list of improvements, including cost estimates, return on investment (ROI), and the estimated payback period for each upgrade.

Common recommendations include:

• Whole-home air sealing
• Adding insulation to the attic, walls, or foundation
• Sealing and insulating ducts
• Addressing moisture or mold issues
• Improving heating, cooling, and hot water equipment efficiency
• Installing smart thermostats, LED lighting, and ENERGY STAR appliances

Some auditors also provide a U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Score (1-10, with 10 being best) or a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index score (0-100, with 0 being best). These scores are like an MPG rating for your house, helping you understand its overall performance and track improvements.

DIY vs. Professional: Which Audit is Right for You?

When considering a home energy audit, you have two options: a do-it-yourself (DIY) assessment or a professional one. A DIY audit is a great starting point for finding obvious issues, while a professional audit provides a more in-depth, accurate analysis using specialized equipment. The right choice depends on your budget, skills, and goals.

Here’s how they stack up:

Conducting a Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit

A DIY home energy audit is a fantastic starting point for identifying easy fixes, or “low-hanging fruit,” that can offer immediate savings. While not as thorough as a professional assessment, a careful walk-through can help you prioritize your efforts. The U.S. Department of Energy offers a helpful guide: Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments.

Key areas to check:

• Locate air leaks: Check for drafts around windows, doors, outlets, and pipes. An incense stick can help visualize air movement. Also inspect the attic hatch and fireplace damper for tight seals.
• Check insulation: Look in your attic for consistent, deep insulation. In Chicago, at least R-38 is recommended. Also inspect your basement or crawlspace rim joists and foundation walls.
• Inspect heating and cooling equipment: Check your furnace filter and change it if it’s dirty. Look for gaps, tears, or dirt streaks around ductwork seams, which indicate air leaks.
• Hunt for energy vampires: Identify devices that use power in standby mode, like chargers, TVs, and game consoles. These can account for up to 20% of your electric bill. Use Duke Energy’s Vampire Calculator to estimate their cost.

Finding and Selecting a Qualified Professional

A professional home energy audit is recommended if you have high energy bills, significant comfort issues, or are planning major renovations. A pro is also necessary to qualify for certain tax credits or rebates.

To find a qualified auditor:

• Start with your state energy office or utility company. Many utilities offer free or subsidized assessments.
• Vet potential auditors. Check references, call past clients, and look them up with the Better Business Bureau.
• Verify certifications. For tax credits, the auditor must be certified by a program recognized by the Department of Energy certification programs for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C).
• Ask about their tools. A qualified professional should use a blower door, thermal imaging camera, and be able to provide a Home Energy Score or HERS Index rating from a body like the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).

From Audit to Action: Common Upgrades and Their Impact

Your home energy audit report is a personalized prescription for your home’s health. It’s the first step you should take before any significant home improvements, such as installing solar panels or upgrading your HVAC system. Understanding your home’s current performance provides a roadmap for smart decisions.

An audit provides recommendations custom to your home, whether it’s a century-old Chicago bungalow or a newer build. For those considering new construction or major renovations, an audit of your current home helps us design truly future-proofed, net-zero ready homes that are optimized for energy performance from day one.

Common recommendations after a home energy audit

While every home is unique, some recommendations appear frequently because they offer the best return on comfort and cost savings.

• Whole-home air sealing: This typically tops the list. It involves sealing air leaks around windows, doors, and outlets to reduce drafts and energy loss.
• Adding insulation: Working with air sealing, proper insulation in the attic, walls, and foundation provides a crucial thermal barrier.
• Sealing and insulating ducts: Leaky ducts in unconditioned spaces like attics waste a significant amount of heated and cooled air. Sealing and insulating them improves HVAC efficiency.
• Improving HVAC efficiency: This can range from regular maintenance to replacing aging equipment (over 15 years old).
• Upgrading water heaters: Since water heating is a major energy expense, insulating the tank and pipes or upgrading to a heat pump or tankless model can lead to big savings.
• Installing smart thermostats: These devices learn your schedule to automatically optimize temperature settings for comfort and efficiency.
• Switching to LEDs: LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity of incandescent bulbs and last much longer.
• ENERGY STAR appliances: Upgrading old appliances to ENERGY STAR certified models delivers substantial energy savings.

Estimating Costs and Determining if an Audit is Worth It

Is a home energy audit worth the investment? A professional audit typically costs between $300 and $600. Recommended improvements vary in cost, from inexpensive DIY air sealing to thousands for a new furnace. Your audit report will provide cost estimates and ROI for each recommendation.

Most homeowners see energy bill reductions of 5-30%, often paying for the audit within a year or two. Beyond savings, the benefits include:

• Improved comfort: Eliminates drafts and temperature inconsistencies.
• Healthier indoor air quality: Addresses moisture issues and reduces incoming pollutants.
• Increased property value: Energy efficiency is an attractive feature for homebuyers.

An audit transforms high energy bills into a clear action plan, making it one of the smartest investments a homeowner can make.

Maximizing Your Savings: Rebates, Tax Credits, and Programs

You don’t have to shoulder the full cost of your home energy audit or the recommended improvements. A variety of financial incentives, including utility rebates and government tax credits, can make energy efficiency more affordable.

These programs exist because utilities want to manage demand and the government wants to reduce emissions. The Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook is an excellent resource for exploring federal incentives that can lower your upfront costs.

Tapping into Tax Credits and Rebates

The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C) can offset the cost of your home energy audit and many recommended improvements. To qualify, the property must be your existing primary residence in the U.S.

The audit must be conducted by a qualified home energy auditor certified by a program on the Department of Energy certification programs for the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C) list.

When filing your taxes, use Form 5695, Residential Energy Credits. You will need the audit bill and a signed report that includes the auditor’s name, taxpayer ID, and certification details.

Many improvements also qualify for credits, which have annual limits. Spreading out projects over multiple years can maximize your savings. For example, you can claim up to $1,200 for insulation and up to $2,000 for a heat pump. Strategic timing of upgrades allows you to take full advantage of these incentives.

Finding Free or Subsidized Audit Programs

It’s often cheaper for utility companies to help you save energy than to build new power plants, leading to excellent low-cost audit programs.

• Utility-sponsored programs: Start by checking with your local utility. They often offer free or subsidized audits to customers in single-family homes or small multi-unit buildings. These programs can have waiting lists, but the savings are often worth the wait.
• Income-qualified programs: Programs like Community Connections offer comprehensive assistance, including audits and help with improvements, for households meeting certain income guidelines.
• State energy offices: Your state energy office is another valuable resource for finding local programs and rebates that can be combined with federal incentives.

A little research before scheduling your audit can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions about Home Energy Audits

As an architect in Chicago specializing in energy efficiency, I often answer the same questions about home energy audits. Here are the most common ones.

How long does a professional home energy audit take?

A professional home energy audit typically takes 2 to 4 hours. The exact time depends on the home’s size, the complexity of its systems, and the thoroughness of the inspection, including any diagnostic tests like a blower door test.

Can renters get a home energy audit?

Yes, renters can often get a home energy audit, but you will almost always need written permission from your landlord. The audit recommends changes to the property, so the owner must be involved. Check with your local utility, as some programs have specific rules and incentives for rental properties.

What is the most important fix after an audit?

While every home is different, the most common and impactful recommendations are air sealing and adding insulation. These two improvements work together to create a tight, well-insulated building envelope, offering the highest return on investment.

Uncontrolled air leakage can account for up to 40% of heating and cooling costs. Sealing leaks and adding proper insulation provides the foundation for all other energy efficiency upgrades, making your home more comfortable and ensuring other improvements, like a new HVAC system, perform effectively.

Conclusion

A home energy audit is your home’s report card, providing a roadmap to a more comfortable, efficient, and healthier living space. It empowers you with concrete data and a prioritized action plan, taking the guesswork out of saving money on utility bills.

The benefits go beyond your wallet. You’ll enjoy a more comfortable home, improve your family’s health with better air quality, increase your property’s value, and reduce your environmental impact.

For homeowners in Chicago, IL, whose audit reveals that major renovations or new construction are the best path forward, Hutter Architects can help. We specialize in taking audit insights and creating sustainable, high-performance homes designed for the future. We use this data to design homes that are models of efficiency and comfort.

Whether you’re sealing leaks or dreaming of a net-zero future, the journey starts with understanding where you are today. That’s the power of a home energy audit.

Ready to explore what’s possible? Learn more about designing a net-zero home and find how we can help you create a home that’s as beautiful as it is efficient.