Question: What is involved in an energy audit?
Answer: A blower door test is performed to measure the air leakage of the home and the tightness of the attic. While the blower door is running an infrared camera is used to check for breaks in the thermal boundaries. A combustion test is done on the heating system. A gas leak test is performed on all gas appliances and lines in the homes as well as the meter if natural gas or tank if propane. All areas that should have insulation are checked and documented. A check is done of all CO detectors and fire alarms.
Question: How long does it take to do an energy audit?
Answer: It depends on a number of factors such as the age of the home, size of the home and number of additions, type of heating system, and the amount of doors and windows the home has. Typically it takes at least 3 hours to do a quality inspection.
Question: How much does an energy audit cost?
Answer: If you live within a 60 mile radius of Wadena, MN, the cost is $325.00. If you are further, call or email for a quote.
Question: What do I get with the audit to help me save energy dollars?
Answer: You will receive a narrative explaining my findings, areas that need to be addressed, the estimated cost to perform the measures, the estimated annual savings, and the number of years to get a payback on the investment. Click the “Narrative” button on the website to view a sample.
Question: How much can I expect to save if I have an energy audit performed on my home and complete most or all the recommendations of the audit?
Answer: Having done over 400 energy audits, the average savings is about 20% for heating and about an additional 10% for electric. For example, if the average cost to heat your home is $1,550.00/year, you could save at least $310.00 annually. If your annual electric bill is $1,440.00, you could save an additional $144.00/year, for a total annual savings of $454.00. This would be considered average-I have performed audits on homes with serious insulation/heating system issues that have seen annual savings much higher than this.