A free home energy audit can cut your electric and heating bills
When your electric or heating bill is more than you can afford, part of the problem is often the house itself. Air leaks around doors and windows, thin insulation, and worn-out equipment waste energy every day, and you pay for that waste on every bill. Most utility companies will send someone to find the waste at no charge, and most customers never ask.
This page explains what a free home energy audit is. Note the service is sometimes called (depending on the utility company) a home energy assessment. The guide covers who offers one at no cost, what the inspector does during the visit, the free items most programs hand out, what to do with the report afterward, and how to tell a real free audit from a sales pitch that uses the same name.
Both homeowners and renters can use this service. Many utility programs are open to anyone who pays the bill, though a renter needs the landlord's permission before anything permanent is installed.
- FAKE ENERGY AUDIT SCAMS: Be on the lookout for them. Companies may claim to offer one as part of a sales pitch or others may provide an assessment if you hire them for any work - these tactics and others as noted below are scams.
What a free energy audit is
A home energy audit, also called a home energy assessment, is an inspection that finds where your home wastes energy. A trained person walks through the property, checks the equipment and the structure, and gives you a written list of problems in order of importance.
Many gas and electric companies offer the inspection free to their customers because they run efficiency programs that pay for it. The standard utility version usually has no income requirement, no age requirement, and no cost. You ask, they schedule it, someone comes out.
A free energy audit costs you nothing beyond a phone call and an appointment, and the changes that come out of it keep lowering the bill month after month. Call your utility company first, ask about weatherization if your income is low, and treat anyone else offering a free inspection with caution.
Who gives a free audit
Start with your own utility company. Call the customer service number printed on your bill and ask whether they offer a free home energy assessment or audit, what it includes, and whether anything gets installed at no cost during the visit. Some companies do the inspection in person, some do it by video call, and some mail a self-inspection kit, so ask which version they use. You can find what your gas or electric company offers, including audits, help with bills, and payment plans, in the NHPB guide to assistance programs offered from utility companies.
If your household income is low, the state weatherization program is the stronger option. A free energy audit is the first step of weatherization, and it leads to free improvements such as air sealing, insulation, and repairs to heating equipment. Older adults, people with disabilities, and families with young children tend to get priority. The NHPB guide to free weatherization services from the government explains who qualifies and what the program pays for. Applications usually run through a local nonprofit, and the NHPB state directory of community action agencies shows how to find the one that serves your county.
If your utility offers nothing and you do not qualify for weatherization, you can hire an energy auditor yourself. Prices vary by company and by region, so get more than one quote and ask exactly what testing is included before you agree to anything.
What happens during the audit
The visit is a scheduled appointment and usually takes somewhere between half an hour and a few hours, depending on the size and age of the home.
The inspector walks through the house and checks the insulation in the attic and walls, the heating and cooling equipment, the water heater, the ductwork, and the doors and windows for drafts. Lighting and major appliances get a look as well. A thorough audit may include a blower door test, where a large fan is set in an exterior doorway to measure how much outside air leaks into the house, and an infrared camera, which shows cold or hot spots on walls and ceilings where insulation is thin or missing.
Part of the inspection is about safety, not just savings. Auditors commonly check combustion appliances such as furnaces and gas water heaters for gas leaks, poor venting, and carbon monoxide problems. Finding one of those issues can matter far more than any amount saved on the bill.
Having a recent utility bill on hand helps, since the inspector may want to look at how much energy the home has been using.
The free items most programs include
Many utility audit programs hand out or install free products during the visit. The common items are LED light bulbs, weather stripping, door sweeps, low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, and advanced power strips that cut power to electronics that are turned off. Some utilities also install a programmable or smart thermostat at no cost. Ask what is included when you schedule, since the products differ from one company to the next.
What to do with the report
After the visit you get a written report listing the problems found, usually in order of what matters most. Read it with three questions in mind: what will the program fix for free, what will the utility help pay for, and what can you do yourself.
Some programs fix certain problems at no cost, especially air sealing, and income-qualified customers often get larger improvements such as insulation free through weatherization. For the rest, the report usually points to rebates and discounts the utility pays toward insulation, heating and cooling equipment, and water heaters. You can also look up every rebate and incentive offered where you live by entering your ZIP code in the DSIRE database at https://dsireusa.org/, a free tool operated by N.C. State University that tracks utility, state, and federal energy programs.
The small items on the report, such as caulking gaps, adding weather stripping, and installing door sweeps, are jobs most people can handle on their own, and the NHPB guide to home repairs you can do yourself - DIY covers how to learn them and where to borrow the tools. If the audit flags a furnace or heating system that is failing or unsafe, there are programs that repair or replace heating equipment at no cost for households that qualify, and the NHPB guide to options for a free heating system repair and replacement explains how to apply.
Watch out for fake energy audits
A real free audit comes from your utility company, a government weatherization program, or an auditor you picked and called yourself. Be careful with everything else.
A "free energy audit" offered by a company that sells windows, siding, solar panels, or heating and cooling equipment is usually a sales appointment. The findings will recommend whatever that company sells, whether your home needs it or not. If you want an honest picture of the house, get it from someone who has nothing to sell you.
Be just as careful at the front door. In some areas, people go door to door claiming the utility sent them for an energy check. A real utility audit happens because you scheduled it. Do not let an unscheduled visitor in, do not show them your utility bill or account number, and do not sign anything at the door. Ask for identification, close the door, and call the number printed on your bill to confirm whether the company actually sent anyone. Anything advertised as free that suddenly requires a payment, a deposit, or a contract is not free.
This page is general information, not professional energy, safety, or financial advice. Utility programs differ from one company to the next and change over time, so confirm what is offered, and what it costs if anything, directly with your utility company or the agency that runs the program.
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