Home Energy Audit 2024: What to Expect, Costs, and $1,000+ Annual Savings

A professional energy audit is the blueprint for home efficiency, identifying exactly where you're wasting energy and money. Average finding: $800-$1,500/year in preventable waste.

What is a Home Energy Audit?

Comprehensive assessment of:

• Air leakage and infiltration
• Insulation levels and gaps
• HVAC efficiency and ductwork
• Appliance and lighting efficiency
• Moisture and ventilation issues

Deliverables:

• Detailed report of findings
• Prioritized improvement recommendations
• Cost estimates and ROI calculations
• Energy savings projections

DIY vs. Professional Audit

DIY Energy Assessment (Free-$50)

What you can do:

• Visual inspection for obvious air leaks
• Check insulation depth in attic
• Review utility bills for patterns
• Inspect weatherstripping on doors/windows

Tools needed:

• Infrared thermometer ($25-$50)
• Flashlight
• Tape measure

Limitations:

• Can't quantify air leakage
• Misses hidden problems
• No thermal imaging
• No equipment testing

Time: 2-4 hours Identifies: 30-40% of issues

Professional Energy Audit ($300-$700)

What's included:

• Blower door test (air leakage quantification)
• Thermal imaging (infrared camera)
• Ductwork pressure testing
• HVAC efficiency analysis
• Combustion safety testing
• Moisture and ventilation assessment
• Detailed written report

Time: 3-5 hours on-site Identifies: 95%+ of issues

What's Included in Professional Audit

1. Blower Door Test

What it measures:

• Total air leakage (ACH50 rating)
• Air changes per hour at 50 pascals pressure

How it works:

• Fan mounted in doorway creates negative pressure
• Smoke pens or infrared camera locates leak sources
• Quantifies total leakage in CFM50

What you learn:

• Exact air tightness of home
• Major leak locations
• Cost to seal leaks
• Expected savings from air sealing

Typical findings:

• Existing homes: 10-20 ACH50 (leaky)
• After basic air sealing: 5-10 ACH50
• Well-sealed homes: 3-5 ACH50

2. Thermal Imaging (Infrared Camera)

What it reveals:

• Missing or inadequate insulation
• Air leaks (temperature differences)
• Moisture intrusion
• HVAC duct leaks
• Thermal bridging

Saves you from:

• Opening walls to check insulation
• Guessing where air sealing is needed
• Missing hidden problems

Cost alone: $300-$600 (included in audit)

3. Ductwork Testing

What's checked:

• Duct leakage (CFM at 25 pascals)
• Insulation levels
• Air flow balance
• Supply/return adequacy

Typical findings:

• Average duct leakage: 20-40% of conditioned air
• Uninsulated ducts in unconditioned spaces
• Undersized returns causing pressure imbalance

Savings potential: $200-$500/year from duct sealing

4. HVAC System Analysis

Tests performed:

• Temperature split (supply vs. return)
• Airflow measurement (CFM)
• Static pressure (ductwork restriction)
• Refrigerant charge (if AC/heat pump)
• Combustion efficiency (gas furnaces)

Identifies:

• Undersized or oversized equipment
• Low refrigerant (efficiency loss)
• Dirty coils (30% efficiency loss)
• Failing compressor (before complete failure)

5. Combustion Safety Testing

Critical for gas appliances:

• CO testing near furnace/water heater
• Draft testing (proper venting)
• Gas leak detection
• Combustion air adequacy

Prevents:

• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Backdrafting (exhaust into home)
• Gas leaks
• Fire hazards

This alone justifies audit cost - safety first

6. Insulation Assessment

Checked in:

• Attic (most important)
• Walls (thermal imaging)
• Basement/crawlspace
• Floors over unconditioned spaces

Documents:

• Current R-values
• Recommended R-values for climate
• Missing/inadequate areas
• Moisture problems

7. Lighting and Appliance Review

Evaluates:

• Old incandescent bulbs (energy hogs)
• Inefficient appliances
• Phantom loads (standby power)
• Opportunities for LED upgrades

Quantifies:

• Cost to upgrade
• Annual savings
• Simple payback period

Cost of Professional Audit

Standard residential audit: $300-$500 Comprehensive audit with detailed report: $500-$700 Utility-sponsored audit: $0-$100 (subsidized)

What affects cost:

• Home size (larger = more time)
• Home age (older = more issues to document)
• Geographic location
• Level of detail in report

Some utilities offer free or heavily discounted audits - check your provider

Interpreting Your Audit Report

Typical report includes:

Priority Rankings

High Priority (ROI < 3 years):

• Air sealing (payback: 2-4 months)
• Attic insulation (payback: 3-7 years)
• Duct sealing (payback: 1-3 years)
• LED lighting (payback: 1-2 years)

Medium Priority (ROI 3-7 years):

• HVAC replacement (if >15 years old)
• Window upgrades
• Basement insulation
• Programmable thermostats

Low Priority (ROI 7-15+ years):

• Wall insulation (expensive retrofit)
• New siding with insulation
• Whole-house generators

Energy Savings Projections

Current annual energy cost: $2,400
Potential savings by priority:

High priority upgrades ($2,500 investment):
  - Air sealing: $300/year
  - Attic insulation: $250/year
  - Duct sealing: $200/year
  - LED lighting: $100/year
  Total: $850/year (payback: 2.9 years)

Medium priority upgrades ($8,000 investment):
  - HVAC replacement: $400/year
  - Smart thermostat: $180/year
  Total: $580/year (payback: 13.8 years)

Combined potential savings: $1,430/year (60% reduction)

Common Findings and Fixes

Finding #1: Air Leaks

Cost to fix: $500-$1,500 (DIY: $100-$300) Annual savings: $300-$600 Payback: 1-3 years

Finding #2: Inadequate Attic Insulation

Cost to fix: $1,500-$3,000 Annual savings: $250-$500 Payback: 3-6 years

Finding #3: Leaky Ductwork

Cost to fix: $600-$1,500 Annual savings: $200-$500 Payback: 1.5-5 years

Finding #4: Inefficient HVAC (15+ years old)

Cost to fix: $8,000-$15,000 Annual savings: $400-$900 Payback: 9-20 years (but necessary for comfort/reliability)

Finding #5: Incandescent Lighting

Cost to fix: $100-$300 (LED bulb upgrades) Annual savings: $75-$150 Payback: 1-2 years

Utility Rebates and Incentives

Many utilities offer:

• Free or discounted audits
• Rebates for implementing recommendations
  • Air sealing: $200-$500
  • Insulation: $300-$1,000
  • HVAC upgrade: $500-$2,000

Check: dsireusa.org for programs in your area

After audit, you'll know exactly which rebates you qualify for

When to Get an Energy Audit

Best times:

• Before buying a home (uncover hidden costs)
• Before major renovation (plan efficiency upgrades)
• After utility bills spike unexpectedly
• Every 5-10 years (equipment ages, standards change)
• Before selling (efficiency = higher value)

Worst times:

• Right after upgrade (wait to measure results)
• If you plan to move within 1-2 years (won't recoup cost)

DIY Follow-Up

After professional audit, you can DIY many fixes:

Easy DIY (save 60% on labor):

• Air sealing attic penetrations
• Adding attic insulation
• Replacing door sweeps and weatherstripping
• Upgrading to LED bulbs
• Installing programmable thermostat

Hire professionals:

• Duct sealing (requires specialized equipment)
• HVAC repair/replacement
• Electrical work
• Insulation in hard-to-reach areas
• Combustion appliance issues

Our Comprehensive SHIELD Audit

Includes everything listed above plus:

• Solar potential assessment (roof analysis)
• Battery backup sizing (for outages)
• EV charging planning
• Smart home integration opportunities
• Whole-home efficiency roadmap

Cost: $400-$600 Credited toward: Any SHIELD service >$2,000

Deliverables:

• 20-30 page detailed report
• Thermal imaging photos
• Prioritized action plan
• 10-year efficiency roadmap
• ROI calculator for all upgrades

Call 877-317-9079 to schedule your comprehensive energy audit.

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Savings estimates based on national averages. Individual results vary by climate, home size, and current efficiency.