A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to
evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will
show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over
time. During the audit, you can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Audits also
determine the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show
you ways to conserve hot water and electricity. The Home Tune-uP software produces a report
which shows savings and costs for energy efficiency improvements, showing the estimated
return on investment (ROI) for all energy savings improvements.
Step 1: Preparing for the Energy Audit
· Before the energy auditor visits your house, make a list of any existing problems such
as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms.
· Have copies or a summary of the home’s yearly energy bills. (Your utility can get
these for you.) Auditors use this information to establish what to look for during the
audit.
Step 2: Inspection
· The energy auditor will examine, measure, and evaluate the factors that affect energy
use in your home, e.g., size of the home (square footage and area), number and
condition of windows, efficiency of appliances, insulation, draftiness of rooms, and
efficiency of heating and cooling systems (HVAC).
· The auditor then will analyze the residents’ behavior: Is anyone home during working
hours? What is the average thermostat setting for summer and winter? How many
people live here? Is every room in use?
Step 3: Detailed Analysis
· The information gathered during the energy audit is analyzed using specialized
software to produce a comprehensive Home Energy Tune-uP® Report. The Report
shows which energy-efficiency improvements would reduce energy costs and make the
home more comfortable. The analysis takes into account regional variables such as
local weather, implementation costs, and fuel prices.
· The Report contains estimates of the savings, costs and payback for each energyefficiency
recommendation. It identifies the group of improvements that, if financed,
will save more on energy bills than it costs. These are the improvements that
everyone can make since they require no out-of-pocket cost when financed.
· The detailed Recommendations section enables contractors to provide preliminary cost
estimates without a visit to your home. It also explains how to get the best energy
savings from these improvements by listing related no-cost low-cost measures that
you can take.
With over 22 years experience in residential real estate, Lynn feels strongly that service is the key to satisfied customers. Lynn's passion for the environment prompted her to be one of Washington's first EcoBrokers. She is excited to assist both buyers and sellers in making choices that will lessen their footprint on the earth. 
