How to Perform a Whole-House Energy Audit

A whole-house energy audit is a comprehensive assessment of your home’s energy efficiency. It identifies areas in which you’re losing energy and makes recommendations about where you can make improvements. This can save you money and make your house more comfortable. Read our guide below to learn how to perform a whole-house energy audit.

Understanding Energy Audits

Energy audits show homeowners where their homes are losing energy. Audits also offer recommendations about how homeowners can become more energy efficient.

Types of Energy Audits

There are three main types of energy audits. Read more about each below.

• Comprehensive audits: In-depth evaluations that use advanced diagnostic tools
• General audits: Detailed assessments that may include some diagnostic testing
• Preliminary audits: Quick, visual inspections that provide general overviews

Benefits of Professional Energy Audits

DIY energy assessments can be helpful, but professional audits offer several advantages. Read more about these below.

• Access to specialized equipment such as blower doors and infrared cameras
• Detailed reports with prioritized recommendations
• Expertise in identifying less obvious energy loss areas
• Potential access to subsidized remediation work through utility companies

Preparing for an Energy Audit

There are several steps you can take to prepare for the audit before it begins. Read more below.

Gather Utility Bills

Collect at least a year’s worth of utility bills. These will help the auditor to understand your energy consumption patterns and identify potential areas for improvement.

Make a List of Concerns

Make note of any specific issues you’ve noticed, such as drafty rooms or inconsistent temperatures. This information can guide the auditor’s focus during the assessment.

Make All Areas Available  

Clear paths to attics, crawl spaces, and other areas of your home that you don’t frequent. The auditor will need to inspect these spaces thoroughly.

The Energy Audit Process

A comprehensive energy audit involves several steps. Each evaluates a different part of your home’s energy efficiency.

Appliance and Lighting Assessment

The audit begins with an evaluation of your home’s appliances and lighting fixtures. Energy-efficient lighting such as CFLs and ENERGY STAR-rated appliances are positive findings in a home energy audit.

Heating System Evaluation

The heating system is an important component of the energy audit. It includes the following steps:

1. Inspecting the water heater for leaks, rust, or lack of insulation
2. Evaluating the age and efficiency of the boiler or furnace
3. Conducting a combustion safety test

Blower Door Test

A blower door test involves depressurizing the house to exaggerate air leakage points. It also helps you to identify where conditioned air escapes, and provides a baseline for comparing the effectiveness of air-sealing efforts. 

Infrared Camera Inspection

An infrared camera is a powerful tool that allows the auditor to visualize temperature differences in walls, ceilings, and floors. It also identifies areas that don’t have adequate insulation, and detects air leaks around windows, doors, and other openings.

Attic Inspections

The attic is usually a significant source of energy loss in homes. The auditor will inspect the attic by performing the following tasks:

1. Measuring the depth and condition of the existing insulation
2. Checking for air leaks, especially around chimneys and other penetrations
3. Evaluating the effectiveness of attic ventilation

Common Energy Loss Areas

Energy audits reveal areas from which homes lose energy. Addressing these issues can lead to significant improvements in energy efficiency.

Air Leaks

Air leaks can occur in various places throughout the home, including the following:

• Around chimneys and vents
• Around windows and doors
• In the basement, especially around the rim joist
• Through gaps in the attic floor

Inadequate Insulation

Energy audits frequently uncover insufficient or degraded insulation. Pay special attention to the areas below.

• Around ductwork in unconditioned spaces
• Attic floors
• Basements and crawl spaces
• Exterior walls

Inefficient HVAC Systems

Older heating and cooling systems can cause issues such as leaky ductwork and low-efficiency equipment.

Recommended Energy-Saving Improvements

An audit may reveal several ways in which homeowners can make their properties more energy efficient. 

Air Sealing

Homeowners can usually make their homes more energy efficient by caulking and weatherstripping around windows and doors and installing foam gaskets behind outlet covers on exterior walls. They can also seal gaps around penetrations in the building envelope.

Insulation Upgrades

Homeowners can make their homes more energy efficient by improving insulation systems. Common upgrades include adding insulation to attic floors, insulating exterior walls, and insulating basements and crawl spaces.

HVAC System Improvements

Improving your heating and cooling systems can lead to substantial energy savings. Options include installing a programmable or smart thermostat, upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace or boiler, or sealing and insulating ductwork.

DIY Energy Audit Tips

Professional audits are comprehensive, but there are several steps homeowners can take to assess their own home’s energy efficiency:

• Check for visible air leaks around windows, doors, and other openings
• Evaluate the age and condition of major appliances and HVAC equipment
• Inspect insulation levels in accessible areas such as the attic
• Review energy bills and look for unusual spikes or patterns in consumption

Using the Infrared Camera

Homeowners can use infrared cameras to identify temperature differences in their walls and ceilings. This can pinpoint specific areas in which insulation or air sealing would be especially effective. 

Assessing Appliance Efficiency

You can use a watt meter to measure how much energy your appliances consume. Plug each appliance into the meter to see how much energy it consumes, and compare it with energy-efficient models. You can then evaluate potential savings.

Optimizing Water Heaters

To optimize your water heater, simply set its temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This adjustment can save energy and reduce your utility bills without compromising your comfort.