Comments on: How to Choose a Company to Do a Home Energy Audit

By: Jennifer B

Jennifer B — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:57:17 +0000

Great article! Thank you!
Great article! Thank you! VERY helpful! I bought a home in Seattle area 4 yrs. ago and REALLY (still) need an energy audit done. Have a TERRIBLE time in the summer cooling down the interior and I am SURE there are ceiling-to-attic leaks and likely improper or insufficient attic ventilation causing this.

Can you share what energy auditor your sister-in-law used (if any) and how she would rate the experience? I will also look at the Home Performance WA site shared. For what it's worth, I *did* have an "energy auditor" come out about 3 yrs. ago (a free service through my utilities company), but his findings were 'less than stellar' and I was NOT impressed. Sad that he gets a kick-back from the utilities company and IMO didn't deserve it.

Any inspectors/auditors in the Western WA area you can recommend would be GREATLY appreciated!

By: Ann Griffin

Ann Griffin — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:20:38 +0000

Good overview article. In WA,
Good overview article. In WA, one resource for finding a home energy professional is the Home Performance Washington – it’s a membership organization, could be a great starting point for Washington residents looking to find a contact.

http://www.homeperformancewashington.org/about.htm

By: Howard Katzman

Howard Katzman — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:35:17 +0000

This is a great list, Allison
This is a great list, Allison. I would add evaluating exhaust fans and their ductwork, particularly for humid climates. Also a good addition to providing recommended prioritzed improvements would be to provide some recommended packages of improvements (good/better/best) with ballpark price ranges to better help the customer manage expectations.

By: Richard Roger

Richard Roger — Mon, 16 May 2011 03:02:02 +0000

Nice article on Home
Nice article on Home Performance assessments. Here on Long Island Home Performance assessments are free for homeowners who make under $205,000. The state pays us a whooping $250 for the audit, but the response has been great. GJGNY is also offering 3.49% loans for insulation and air sealing. I work for a large Home re-modeler and have been doing at least one audit a day. Hoping the government gets some type of Federal incentive program going. What we do works and saves homeowners money

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Sat, 07 May 2011 19:50:11 +0000

Gretchen:
Gretchen: No, that's not too much to ask. It should be easy for them to take a previous report and delete any info that identifies the client it was done for, and it would give you a better sense of what you'll get for your money.

Glad you found it useful, Gretchen. Now you'll know you have to be careful what you say to me because it could wind up in the blog. ;~)

By: Gretchen Hund

Gretchen Hund — Sat, 07 May 2011 19:42:35 +0000

VERY helpful. I will call
VERY helpful. I will call the company on Monday with my list in hand to see what they plan to provide. Is it too much to ask to have them give me a sample report so that I get some sense of "the product"?

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:12:41 +0000

Stan: Yes,
Stan: Yes, getting and checking references is always a good idea.

Jeff: Glad you liked it.

Krystal: Good point about the list needing to be adjusted for climate-specific variations. I think I can see how insulation might be more important and moisture problems less important in a desert. ;~)

By: Krystal H

Krystal H — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:36:16 +0000

Our company provides energy
Our company provides energy audits in Las Vegas, NV. Here in the desert, moisture infiltration is not a common problem. Inadequate insulation is an issue we encounter in almost every home we audit that is over 5 years old. Next most common is ducts work that has not been properly sealed. With ambient summer air temps well over 100 degrees, these two issues can cost a homeowner over $1,000 a year if left uncorrected.

By: Stan

Stan — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:53:13 +0000

I recommend that anyone
I recommend that anyone considering having ANYONE come into their home to do work get a list of at least 10 of the contractor's recent customers, and call 3 of them to get their experiences prior to choosing.

By: Allison Bailes

Allison Bailes — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:29:49 +0000

George:
George: Thanks for pointing out that I omitted thermal imaging. I've gone back and added it to the Extras section. And yes, when used in combination with a Blower Door, it's a really good tool to find thermal bypasses.