Erin Lee, a Milwaukee resident who has owned her south side home for nine years, thought she knew which parts of her house needed fixing. However, when she hired Milwaukee’s Weatherization Services to conduct a home energy assessment, she was surprised by where they looked and what they found in her home. She was also happy to learn that this assessment would be free and that she could save thousands of dollars on upgrades to fix problems identified in the assessment.
A home energy assessment, also called a home energy audit, is an evaluation that helps homeowners understand the energy efficiency, comfort and safety of their home. Home energy assessments like Lee’s often include a visual inspection of the inside and outside of the home, an inspection of heat gain and loss using infrared camera technology, and a blower door test. A blower door test involves using a large fan to pull air out of the house and then testing where air is flowing in through unsealed gaps and cracks.
After these tests, the home energy assessor makes recommendations for upgrading the home. “The kinds of recommendations were more wide-ranging than what I was expecting. So, it gives you more choice in what you could fix” says Lee. These recommendations can include upgrades to heating and cooling systems, additional insulation, sealing of gaps and much more.
Lee knew her windows might need upgrading, because she would often feel drafts throughout the house. What she did not know, and only found out because of her energy assessment, was that her home needed significant insulation upgrades in many first floor walls and in the attic, and improved air sealing around the front and back door. The energy assessors also recommended upgrades to her heating system. “It wasn’t like someone was walking through your house with a clipboard and ignoring you. It was a pretty interactive process. It was engaging.”
A home energy assessment such as Lee’s can unlock significant savings and rebates through federal, state and local efficiency programs. The Home Efficiency Rebate program (also known as HOMES) is a federal program that offers rebates for whole home upgrades that are projected by a home energy assessment to reduce energy usage by at least 20%. These rebates are administered by Focus on Energy, the statewide energy efficiency program.
Focus on Energy offers many other rebates and incentives as well, including rebates for insulation, air sealing, and efficient water heating equipment. They also administer the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program (HEAR), a separate federal program that offers rebates to low-income households for energy efficient appliances.
Additionally, there are local programs throughout Wisconsin that can help with home upgrades. Certain zip codes, such as the one Lee lives in, qualify for ME2, a Milwaukee program that offers free home energy assessments, home upgrade incentives and low-interest loans for certain home improvements.
In total, the upgrades that Lee’s home energy assessors recommended would’ve been about $23,000 without any rebates or incentives. Because of all the programs Lee and her house qualified for, this price tag was reduced by more than half. “Even if you don’t qualify for any kind of rebates,” Lee states, “understanding the scope of different kinds of projects that you could address in your house is worth it.”
Home energy assessments can range in price depending on size and location. To find a home energy assessor that works in your area, check out Focus on Energy’s Trade Ally Network.
