HOME ENERGY AUDITS
Are you interested in having your home evaluated for energy efficiency? A home energy audit will show how the home is functioning and any areas that may need improvement to become a healthier home. Every home varies greatly, therefore an energy audit is the perfect first step to determine what improvements will make the most impact on your unique building as a whole. Hybrid Handyman is fully equipped to perform a full energy audit on your home.
What's included in a home energy audit?
When we visit your home for a comprehensive energy evaluation we will:
-Visually inspect the interior and exterior of the home
-Inspect the attic, crawl space, basement and exterior wall insulation and air sealing
-Inspect HVAC system
-Inspect windows and doors
-Inspect lighting
-Inspect appliances
-Perform a carbon monoxide health and safety test of the furnace/boiler, water heater and gas appliances (CAZ test)
-Perform a blower door test (CFM 50) to determine air leakage
-Take infrared imaging to find where your home is wasting energy and determine which areas need the most attention to ensure comfort of the home
-Visually inspect the interior and exterior of the home
-Inspect the attic, crawl space, basement and exterior wall insulation and air sealing
-Inspect HVAC system
-Inspect windows and doors
-Inspect lighting
-Inspect appliances
-Perform a carbon monoxide health and safety test of the furnace/boiler, water heater and gas appliances (CAZ test)
-Perform a blower door test (CFM 50) to determine air leakage
-Take infrared imaging to find where your home is wasting energy and determine which areas need the most attention to ensure comfort of the home
What are the benefits of a home energy audit?
There are many benefits to having a home energy audit performed. An energy audit is the first step in making your home more cost efficient, energy efficient, comfortable and overall healthy.
-REDUCE HEATING AND COOLING COSTS:
If your home is wasting energy, you will see that reflected in your energy bill. All of the small air leaks throughout the home can add up to the equivalent of a window or more open year-round, which in turn forces your HVAC system to run constantly to make up for the conditioned air loss. Not only will having an energy audit performed evaluate air leakages and subpar insulation, it will also assess your HVAC system to find if upgrading your HVAC appliances will be beneficial to your home. Finding areas where your home isn’t energy efficient by determining issues such as air leaks, subpar insulation and inefficient appliances will help you to reduce energy usage to help save money every month.
-ENERGY EFFICIENCY:
If your home has either subpar insulation and/or appliances, it’s wasting the energy that you pay to provide. When we perform an energy audit we evaluate and assess insulation and air sealing levels as well as HVAC systems to determine if upgrading these systems on your home will help to make your home function better overall. Insulation and air sealing go hand in hand with HVAC system to create a better functioning house – if insulation and air sealing is subpar it forces your HVAC system to run constantly and, alternately, if your HVAC system is subpar the insulation and air sealing don’t have the proper conditioned air to keep in your home.
-INCREASE INDOOR COMFORT:
When a homes’ building envelope is properly sealed and insulated you keep the warm air in the winter and the cool air in the summer exactly where you want it: inside your home! If your home is not properly air sealed and/or insulated, the conditioned air that your HVAC system works hard to provide isn’t staying in the conditioned space of your home, leading to cold or hot spots or drafty rooms.
-HEALTHIER INDOOR AIR QUALITY:
When your home has a lot of small air leaks this can add up to the equivalent of a window or more being open year around. Not only does this mean that you are losing the conditioned air that your HVAC system provides, but it also means that pollutants that are in the surrounding environment are permeating your home’s conditioned space. With a home energy audit we can determine any areas that have high levels of air leakage to ensure your indoor air quality.
-MAXIMIZE REBATES:
In order to be eligible for rebates for energy efficiency upgrades the first step is to have an energy audit performed. Not only does this show exactly what areas of your home could use the most improvement but an energy audit is required by most rebate programs. Our company is registered in both Xcel Energy and Efficiency Works rebate program to help lower the cost of audits for our customers.
What's the cost of a home energy audit?
Our base price for a home energy audit is $400, but if you are eligible for rebates through Xcel and/or Efficiency Works this can lower the cost of the audit.
-For customers who utilize gas AND electricity (or only electricity if your furnace is electric) from Xcel Energy you will receive an instantly applied rebate of $200, so the out-of-pocket cost will be $200 (this will require you to sign the rebate over to Hybrid Handyman and the paperwork will be provided at the audit appointment).
-For customers who heat their home with gas provided by Xcel energy and electricity provided by one of the Platte River Power Authority partner utility companies (Fort Collins Utilities, Longmont Power and Communication, Loveland Water and Power or Estes Park Power and Communications) you will receive an instantly applied rebate from both Xcel Energy and Efficiency Works and your out-of-pocket cost will be $60 (this will require you to sign the rebates over to Hybrid Handyman and the paperwork will be provided at the audit appointment).
-For customers who have all electric appliances with utilities also provided by one of the Platte River Power Authority partner utility companies (Fort Collins Utilities, Longmont Power and Communication, Loveland Water and Power or Estes Park Power and Communications) you will receive an instantly applied rebate from Efficiency Works and your out-of-pocket cost will be $60 (this will require you to sign the rebate over to Hybrid Handyman and the paperwork will be provided at the audit appointment).
-For customers who don’t heat their home or receive utility power with energy provided by Xcel or a PRPA utility partner we encourage you to check your providers’ rebate offerings. If we can be of any assistance in applying for rebates, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office!
-For customers who utilize gas AND electricity (or only electricity if your furnace is electric) from Xcel Energy you will receive an instantly applied rebate of $200, so the out-of-pocket cost will be $200 (this will require you to sign the rebate over to Hybrid Handyman and the paperwork will be provided at the audit appointment).
-For customers who heat their home with gas provided by Xcel energy and electricity provided by one of the Platte River Power Authority partner utility companies (Fort Collins Utilities, Longmont Power and Communication, Loveland Water and Power or Estes Park Power and Communications) you will receive an instantly applied rebate from both Xcel Energy and Efficiency Works and your out-of-pocket cost will be $60 (this will require you to sign the rebates over to Hybrid Handyman and the paperwork will be provided at the audit appointment).
-For customers who have all electric appliances with utilities also provided by one of the Platte River Power Authority partner utility companies (Fort Collins Utilities, Longmont Power and Communication, Loveland Water and Power or Estes Park Power and Communications) you will receive an instantly applied rebate from Efficiency Works and your out-of-pocket cost will be $60 (this will require you to sign the rebate over to Hybrid Handyman and the paperwork will be provided at the audit appointment).
-For customers who don’t heat their home or receive utility power with energy provided by Xcel or a PRPA utility partner we encourage you to check your providers’ rebate offerings. If we can be of any assistance in applying for rebates, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office!