A Checklist for Performing a Home Energy Evaluation

December 22, 2015

A home energy evaluation is an essential part of figuring out where your house is losing both energy and money, as well as how to remedy those issues to improve energy efficiency. Regularly conducting such anaudit is extremely important - especially before the heating and cooling seasons. Savvy homeowners will take the time to perform an assessment on their own while also hiring a professional to take a closer look. This guide will tell you what needs to be done for a successful home energy evaluation.

DIY Home Energy Evaluation Checklist
The first step to assessing your home's energy efficiency is in performing a walk-through inspection on your own. This process will reveal obvious signs of trouble that need to be addressed in order to improve home comfort while lowering your monthly bill. During the evaluation you should:

  • Locate and Correct Air Leaks - Sealing air leaks with caulk can significantly improve home energy efficiency. While some leaks can easily be felt as drafts around windows, baseboards, and doors, you may need to take other steps to detect air leaks.
  • Check Insulation - Make sure that your insulation levels are up to today's standards and that all attics, crawl spaces, and walls are properly insulated.
  • Inspect Heating & Cooling Equipment - Changing your furnace and A/C filters regularly will make a big difference in your HVAC equipment's efficiency and effectiveness. Be sure to also consider the equipment's age, as systems older than 10-15 years won't perform as well as new units.
  • Change Light Bulbs - Trade in your inefficient light bulbs for CFLs, LEDs, fluorescent lights, or incandescent bulbs.
Professional Home Energy Evaluation Checklist
While a DIY evaluation is a great start, only a professional can conduct a complete audit which will reveal the subtler issues that could be creating major problems. Throughout the assessment, your HVAC professional should:
  • Conduct a blower test for air-tightness
  • Inspect ductwork
  • Check HVAC equipment for efficiency/performance issues
  • Verify thermostat functionality
  • Verify insulation levels
To get started on scheduling your professional home energy evaluation, call the professionals at Lozier Heating & Cooling. We serve residents of the greater Des Moines area. Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Credit/Copyright Attribution: "Michael D Brown/Shutterstock"