What Is a Home Energy Audit and How to Maximize Home Energy Efficiency

A home energy audit is the first step in assessing your home’s energy efficiency and identifying issues that lead to electricity, heating, or cooling wastage and higher power bills.

A professional home energy audit will also identify potential safety issues and ways to make your home more comfortable to live in — especially in extreme cold or heat.

It’s possible to conduct a DIY home energy audit yourself… 

But a professional auditor will use expensive specialist tools that don’t make sense to invest in for one-time or irregular use and dedicated software for analysis.

Fortunately, government programs can cover some or all of the expenses of a professional audit and energy efficiency improvements to your primary dwelling — whether you own or rent.

More on that later.

First, let’s explore what you can expect from a professional home energy audit.

What Does a Home Energy Audit Include?

Professional home energy audits include a thorough assessment of your home’s energy performance carried out by a qualified technician using industry experience and specialist tools.

The exact procedure varies by vendor, dwelling type, and location but typically includes the following steps.

Hire a Certified Professional Home Energy Auditor 

Hiring a professional and checking their qualifications is always a good idea, no matter what their field. 

The Department of Energy publishes a list of recognized training programs and credentials for home energy auditors.

If you’re planning on taking advantage of the home energy audit tax credit under Section 25C, a signed, written report by a Qualified Home Energy Auditor is required. 

In addition to confirming professional requirements, it always makes sense to check local or national review websites for feedback from the contractor’s customers or get a referral from someone you trust. 

(Source: Dept. of Energy)

Schedule an Inspection 

Now that you’ve vetted your home energy consultant to ensure they’re qualified, it’s time to schedule an inspection.

The auditor will conduct a thorough exterior and interior inspection of your entire home to determine where you’re wasting energy.

(Source: Energy Star)

Exterior Inspection

A professional audit typically begins with an inspection of your home’s “building envelope.”

Building envelope is the technical term for the physical barriers that protect the interior of your dwelling from the external environment and the elements, including:

• Roofs
• Walls
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Doors 
• Windows

In short — the constituent components of virtually any modern dwelling.

Inadequate insulation of attics and cellars or old doors and windows are some of the most common inefficiencies leading to energy wastage at home. 

Exterior inspections typically include:

• Assessing the condition of exterior walls, roofing, and siding
• Inspecting the dwelling’s foundation for air leaks or dampness

Interior Inspection

Once your home’s exterior has been evaluated, the auditor will conduct an interior visual inspection, including:

• Insulation level and condition of walls, ceilings, and floors
• Damaged, drafty, or improperly sealed doors and windows
• Types of windows (single, double, or triple pane?) and window frame materials
• Door types (solid or hollow core? steel or fiberglass) and doorframe materials
• Fireplaces and chimneys
• Energy efficiency assessment of high-wattage appliances and HVAC systems
• Types of interior lighting (incandescent, LED, or fluorescent)
• Thermostat settings and energy usage patterns for space heating and air conditioning 

Diagnostic Testing and Tools

Many of the interior and exterior visual inspection steps may seem relatively straightforward to DIY.

Along with expertise and experience, diagnostic testing using specialized tools is a primary benefit of hiring a qualified home energy auditor.

At a minimum, professional home auditors should perform the following tests.

(Source: DoE)

Blower Door Test

Blower door diagnostic tests require specialized tools and professional expertise to interpret results accurately.  

Contrary to popular belief, a blower door test doesn’t measure the energy efficiency of a single exterior or interior door.

Instead, it determines the air tightness and leakage pathways in an entire home.

The primary exterior entrance — usually the front door — is temporarily removed and replaced with a flexible panel equipped with a calibrated industrial exhaust fan and a built-in pressure gauge to depressurize the interior space.

By “vacuuming” air outside of the home, the auditor can measure the CFM rating (Cubic Feet per Minute), which helps determine the air tightness and leakage rate of the house as a whole.

A high CFM rating means there are significant air leakages from the interior to the outside of the dwelling, resulting in energy inefficiency and higher heating and cooling bills.

A lower CFM number indicates a more air-tight building envelope.

The CFM rating is crucial to measuring air leakage rates from buildings, but it requires expert interpretation and training to maximize the benefits of blower door tests.

A home energy professional will also:

• Determine the Air Changes per Hour (ACH) rating
• Pinpoint air leakage pathways in the home
• Conduct the test safely with minimal inconvenience

(Source: DoE)

Thermal (Infrared) Scanning and Imaging

Thermographic inspections are an essential tool that energy assessors use to identify heat losses 

and air leaks from your home.

Thermography requires professional-grade infrared (IR) video and still cameras to pinpoint where additional insulation or other improvements will increase the energy efficiency of your home.

The IR cameras produce thermograms — images that show variations and irregularities in surface temperature on the interior or exterior of your building.

Thermographic inspections are complementary to blower door tests and are often conducted at the same time.  

Duct Leakage Testing

For most US consumers, space heating and cooling are the most costly uses of electricity or fuel.

Despite many regions being relatively temperate, the most recent Residential Energy Consumer Survey (RECS) found that air conditioning is used in almost 90% of American households.

Two-thirds of US homes rely on central AC to keep cool.

Over 90% rely on central heating controlled by a thermostat to stay warm.

Central HVAC systems are the most convenient method of heating and cooling your home.

But whether or not your HVAC system is energy-efficient relies on a complex system of interrelated components, including air handling and heating units, compressors, thermostats, and ductwork.

The ducts that conduct hot or cold air to different areas of your home are a common point of failure when it comes to energy efficiency for the following reasons.

• Leaks from poor sealing
• Undetected disconnections
• Aging or improperly installed materials
• Lack of insulation
• Accumulation of dust, mold, mildew, and debris

Any of the above factors can negatively impact energy efficiency and your family’s health.

Data Analysis 

Once all the diagnostic testing is complete, your auditor will use professional software to analyze the data collected.

Various apps are used to model your home energy consumption, help your auditor recommend efficient home improvements, and provide a detailed cost-benefit analysis.

Written Report and Follow-Up Support

A detailed written report signed by a qualified home energy auditor is a requirement for tax credit eligibility, and it also provides a roadmap for improvements you should make.

100% energy efficiency is a physical impossibility and should never be your goal.

Instead, a professional home energy audit will suggest efficiency improvements on a cost/benefit basis and alert you to government incentives that can help defray your initial investment.

For example, the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit can save you up to $3,200 a year on qualified expenses — including clean energy property like exterior doors and windows, and $150  toward the cost of the audit itself.

How Should You Prepare for an Energy Audit?

Because you’re outsourcing your energy audit to a professional, your preparations once you’ve scheduled an appointment should be minimal.

Typically, the auditor requires your presence for site visits, safe access to your home exterior and interior, and past energy bills.

Your consultant will inform you of any special requests before the visit.

It’s helpful to make a list of any specific questions and concerns before the site visit. 

For example, is my fridge too old? 

What about that drafty window?

Be prepared and make the most of your time with a qualified home energy professional.

What Will You Learn From a Home Energy Audit?

Here’s what you’ll learn from a professional home energy audit — and why it’s worth the upfront cost.

1. Air Leakage

Identifies specific locations where air is escaping or entering your home. For example, windows, doors, attics, cellars, fireplaces, and crawlspaces. 

2. Insulation Levels

Determines the R-value (insulation effectiveness) of your home.

3. HVAC System Efficiency

Detailed assessment of the age, condition, and performance of your heating and cooling systems, identifying potential areas for improvement.

4. Ductwork Leaks and Insulation

Verifies there’s no air leaks from your HVAC ducts and that they have the appropriate level of insulation    

5. Window and Door Performance

Evaluates the energy efficiency of your windows and doors.

6. Appliance Efficiency:

Examines the age and energy consumption of high-wattage appliances like refrigerators, water heaters, washers, and dryers, etc. Enables a cost/benefit analysis of potential upgrades to Energy Star efficiency certified appliances.

7. Lighting

Assesses light fixtures and bulbs and makes recommendations for energy-efficient alternatives. For example, replacing incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs.

8. Thermostat Settings

Are you optimizing your thermostat settings for energy savings and comfort?

9. Combustion Appliance Safety

Older fuel-powered appliances like furnaces and water heaters are prone to carbon monoxide leaks, insufficient ventilation, or other safety hazards. The audit will include a safety check.

10. Potential Energy Bill Savings

Estimate of energy savings and cost reductions if you make the recommended home improvements, upgrades to appliances and HVAC systems, and consumption pattern adjustments.

11. Action List of Prioritized Recommendations

A prioritized to-do list of specific actions to take based on cost-effectiveness and positive impact on energy consumption.

12. Cost-Benefit Analysis

Estimates how much money you’ll save by making recommended improvements vs. what it costs you to do them.

13. Available Incentives, Tax Credits, and Rebates

Detailed evaluation of what tax credits and government programs can offset the cost of reducing your energy bills and consumption. For example, the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and the Residential Clean Energy Credit — a 30% federal tax credit against the purchase and installation costs of solar panels, home batteries, and other renewable energy systems.  

14. Home Energy Score (if applicable)

If your auditor participates in the Dept. of Energy’s Home Energy Score program, you’ll receive a standardized metric of your home’s energy performance. The DoE describes it as a miles-per-gallon rating for your home.

How Can You Address Issues Found During an Energy Audit?

One of the primary benefits of a professional home energy audit is that a qualified assessor won’t just identify issues with energy efficiency in your dwelling, they’ll provide an actionable list of improvements you can make to address them.

A reputable and experienced home energy auditor in your area will likely recommend local contractors or retailers of residential energy property.

Frequently, a professional energy auditor will be a contractor themselves.

The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit not only covers 30% of the cost of professional home energy audit (up to $150) but it also can help pay for the improvements themselves.

According to the IRS, it can include:

• $1,200 for energy-efficient property costs and certain energy efficient home improvements, with limits on exterior doors ($250 per door and $500 total), exterior windows and skylights ($600) and home energy audits ($150)
• $2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps, water heaters, biomass stoves, or biomass boilers

The credit is capped at $3,200 per individual taxpayer per year. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Making your home more energy efficient is one of the best ways to save money on electricity and heating bills.

A professional home energy audit will find where you’re losing power — and cash — by uncovering inefficiencies you’re unlikely to discover on your own.

Not only that, you’ll get an actionable to-do list and cost/benefit analysis to help you decide what energy efficient home improvements to make first.

Once you’ve tackled issues with energy efficiency at home, consider saving even more money on bills by investing in a whole home solar generator like EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra to reduce (or eliminate) your dependence on the utility grid.

EcoFlow offers a wide range of solar panel and home battery solutions that provide energy security and savings for any size home.

Check out our selection today.