Save Energy, Water, And Money With A Home Energy Audit

February 27, 2015- We have blogged about how home energy audits, also called energy assessments or energy evaluations, can help homeowners lower their utility bills. Although the audit may be done at any time, most are performed as a requirement for receiving government rebates.

Viviane Kertész, writing for the EcoLiving section at ScotiaBank.com provides an informative overview of the home energy audit process in her post, "What is a Home Energy Audit?" The piece is a good first step for landlords and homeowners looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thereby save energy, water, and money.

"When performed in the course of applying for rebates, home energy audits usually include two different visits — one booked before you undertake your home improvements, and one booked after implementing the improvements but before sending in the paperwork for your rebates," Kertész writes. "The initial audit is also known as the "D" audit or a pre-retrofit audit, while the "E" audit is the post-retrofit evaluation. Most rebate programs require that the audit be performed by an energy advisor who is certified by the rebate program."

The initial, or "D", home Energy audit, conducted in-house by an energy advisor, typically takes 2 to 3 hour and includes the following steps:

• A visual inspection of your whole home from foundation to rooftop.

• The auditor measures your insulation, where possible.

• The auditor notes the age and efficiency of your heating and cooling system, appliances, doors and windows, and water-using fixtures such as toilets and showerheads.

• The auditor will likely perform a blower-door test by sealing a door with a plastic barrier that has a built-in fan which blows air out of your house. The test gauges how airtight your home is by measuring the change in air pressure. The result allows the auditor to assign the home an EnerGuide rating and an air-tightness score.

Within two weeks, or sooner if the auditor has a mobile computer and printer, the homeowner will receive a report with a list of recommended improvements, and if the audit is part of a rebate program, the list should also indicate what rebates are available to you. The report also shows your home’s airtightness and its EnerGuide efficiency rating. Homes are benchmarked against other homes of similar size, age and construction.

Many rebates require the homeowner to perform a post-retrofit or "E" audit where an energy advisor examines the improvements that have been performed on your home, and again measures for airtightness. The advisor will certify that the improvements were been done under the criteria set out by the rebate program and will calculate how much you can expect to receive in rebates and grants. The post notes that, in many cases the advisor will prepare and submit the paperwork, too.

Read Viviane Kertész's full EcoLiving.ScotiaBank.com post here.

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