Homeowner Benefits
Benefits of a home performance evaluation include:
- Make Educated Decisions when Investing in Energy and Comfort Improvements: You'll receive a report listing cost-effective options for improving your home's energy efficiency and comfort. Improving your home's energy efficiency not only means increased homeowner comfort, but reduced utility costs and increased value in the marketplace.
- Increase Satisfaction: Knowing you've taken a first step in helping your family's comfort, safety and health, in helping our country become more energy independent, and in helping the environment.
- Obtain Special Financing: You may be able to add the cost of making the energy improvements to the mortgage loan through an Energy Improvement Mortgage (EIM). An energy improvement mortgage will finance the energy improvements recommended by an energy rating because they are cost-effective and will pay for themselves over the life of the loan. If purchasing a new home, you may qualify for a higher quality, energy efficient home with an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM). It increases the buying power of purchasers by crediting the energy savings of a high performance home into the mortgage loan calculations. An energy efficient mortgage will not only qualify more families for a mortgage loan, but will allow a home buyer to afford more features in a home than they would otherwise.
- Determine the Relative Energy Efficiency of a Residence: Whether purchasing a home or evaluating your existing home for improvements or sale, a rating provides you with a thorough, impartial and objective understanding of your home's energy performance, as well as any problems areas.
What's Involved?
A typical home evaluation includes the following:
- A "blower door" test to determine the amount and location of air leakage in the home.
- Combustion appliance testing to determine if your gas appliances are operating at full efficiency, and that all of the combustion gases are being safely removed from your home. (Approximately 25% of the homes tested have been found to have carbon monoxide spillage into the home.)
- An infrared camera evaluation of your home. Thermal imaging (the camera "sees" heat, not visible light) allows me to look into walls and ceilings in order to see insulation voids and construction defects.
- A thorough visual inspection of your home, inside and out, top to bottom.
- A report with specifications, including a listing of contractors who can do the work competently.
- A follow-up, on-site inspection and re-testing.
As a result, you will be given a roadmap on specific measures you can take in your home, prioritized by safety, durability and performance (energy efficiency and comfort), as well as a list of resources who can help.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you again for providing such a service! I am very impressed with your professionalism, punctuality and follow-up and will be sure to recommend you to anyone who asks. Please feel free to use me as a reference!"
- Martina Price, Webster Groves, MO
More Info
Specific benefits of any improvements made based on a home performance test typically include:
- Even, controllable, healthy temperatures throughout the home.
- Substantially increased energy efficiency.
- Improved indoor air quality.
- Control of drafts, unpleasant odors, or harmful fumes from outside the home.
- Humidity levels that do not support mold or mildew growth.
- A quieter, more peaceful living environment.
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to reduced energy consumption, and other larger benefits.
- Improved resale value due to reduced operating and repair costs.
- Peace of mind and pride of ownership.
- Possible qualification for tax credits (Please see you tax accountant for specific tax advice.)
