10. Don’t Get the Free Audit – Energy Audits are like all other things in this world. You get what you pay for. If you’re willing to take a day or a half day off work to have an energy audit on your home. Then it’s presumed that you intend to generate enough data to either satisfy an outcome, or solve a pesky problem that you may be having. Auditors who perform free audits do not get paid very well, think sub 40K per year. As so, they may not be as professional or as motivated to serve you as an auditor for hire.

9. Gather Your Records – An Energy Audit without clear usage histories on both your home’s heating fuel usage and the electricity associated with cooling, operating appliances, and lighting. Is likely to become an audit filled with anecdotes, probables and maybes. For instance, the auditor may very well miss the three space heaters you run in the deep of winter that costs $700 per year, or that your base-load domestic hot water usage cost is way too high. Most utility companies have at least a one year history of usage on each bill. So even just your most recent bill will really help out.

8. Be Prepared to Answer Questions – A good audit should always begin with the auditor taking the time to ask questions. He should be concerned with the history of the house, behaviors of the occupants inside the home, as well as finding out about any specific concerns that may have prompted the audit. And of course what sort of desired outcome there is for the findings of the audit.

7. Prepare the House – Do you want a really good audit? Or do you want someone to clean out your fireplace and move boxes around in the attic and basement. Auditors will burn lots of calories during the 2-4 hours they spend with you. Blower door testing, infrared imaging, combustion analysis, manual inspections of dark, tight places. If your fireplace is dirty with wood ash, clean it out for a safe blower door test. if you have furniture in front of crawlspace access doors, move it out of the way. I assure you, after doing over 2,000 private audits. If you take these steps prior to the audit, and maybe mention it in passing to the auditor at the beginning. He will work harder to maximize your audit.

6. Be At Home – Auditors are not magic. They will have questions for you. Because of the programs in place right now to train new auditors. It’s pretty likely you may have an auditor who hasn’t been in the field that long. He will need some guidance. Someone who can help him sort out what he thinking. I’m not saying you should stay in his “hip pocket” the whole time. But do make yourself available.

5. Don’t Sweat Infrared Imaging – I had a call from a guy last summer who said he wanted an audit but wanted to wait for winter so we could infrared image his walls. If auditors could only work in ideal infrared environments, then it would not be a viable occupation. Infrared is useful for about 4 months out of the year. Unless it’s less than 40 degrees outside or greater than 85 degrees, it just isn’t that accurate on the building envelope. Anything that can be determined on an ideal day for thermal imaging, can be determined on any day regardless of temperature, provided the auditor is knowledgeable and patient enough to carefully come to his conclusions.

4. Do They Do the Work Also, or Just The Audit? – Sure it sounds good: Have an independent professional who is not tied to the outcome in any way help you to prioritize energy improvements. However, here is how it happens in the real world. The real cost of a full service energy audit is about $500. Auditors who charge $500 don’t stay very busy. Auditors can only afford to do it for less if they also make money on energy upgrades. My preference is for the firm who does the audit and makes money on the absolute most cost effective measures. Which is usually some weatherization. This auditor should be an absolute expert on building envelopes and also offer real good advice about windows, doors, hvac, and lighting. But would leave the big ticket work up to those who specialize in it. This type of auditor can usually perform an audit for a couple hundred bucks or so, and more often than not will also earn a contract worth 1-4K. Don’t worry. Those first weatherization dollars pay for themselves quickly.

3. Do the Upgrades – No, you don’t have to do them all at once. Yes, you can start with the most cost effective first and then work your way through the list. But do them. IT WILL improve the value of your home.

2. Be Nice to the Auditor – Is he thirsty? Would he like a snack? Smile and thank him for coming out. Trust me… he’s much more likely to find the draft at the far end of that tight, dark crawlspace if he likes you.

1. Tip Him and Offer Referrals – Hey, he worked hard. Carried equipment in and out. Didn’t complain about your dog jumping all over him. Cleaned up after himself. Came up with some good ideas. Maybe saved you a pile of money because the windows or furnace you’re worried about aren’t ready for replacement just yet. That’s right… show him a little extra green so his lunch is paid for today.