It takes a lot of energy to heat, cool, and operate a home. Most home buyers have no idea how much it will cost them to operate their home once they move in. Current homeowners do not fully understand how much energy and, therefore, money is being wasted by their home. And if they did understand, neither home buyers nor homeowners would know what to do about it.
Your Home Energy Report provided to you by your home inspector will give you a quick understanding of:
- how much your home will cost to operate;
- where energy (and, therefore, your money) is being wasted; and
- what you can do to save energy and increase comfort.
By Hiring a Home Energy Inspector
Homeowners often find that energy improvements can dramatically improve the comfort and condition of their homes, so it makes sense to act as soon as possible to enhance your quality of life. By hiring an InterNACHI Home Energy Inspector, you can quickly learn how to save energy and money while also seeing how your home ranks compared to others in your area.
To Perform a Home Energy Inspection
To perform a Home Energy Inspection, the inspector conducts a brief walk-through of the home and collects 40 data points related to home energy. The inspector then enters the data into a web-based energy calculator developed by InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, to:
- estimate the home’s yearly energy usage;
- pinpoint potential energy inefficiencies;
- calculate a score based on these estimates; and
- develop recommendations for energy improvements.
Recommendations
The Home Energy Report lists recommendations for energy upgrades that are specific to the house, as well as an estimate of how much the improvements can reduce its utility bills. The report is based on the data collected, the national average costs for installation of specific energy improvements, and the state’s average for residential utility costs.
Some of the recommendations for energy upgrades are simple for a homeowner to do. Others require more investment and the work of qualified professionals but promise large financial savings over time.
Verify Energy Upgrades
You can ask your InterNACHI-Certified Home Energy Inspector to include a post-upgrade inspection as part of the improvement package to verify that your home’s energy efficiency is greater after you’ve made the recommended energy upgrades. Not only is this proof that your home is performing better, but the Report can serve as official documentation that the improvements you’ve made have enhanced your home’s performance, which adds to your home’s appeal when you’re ready to sell.
