Home energy audits are one of the most valuable tools available to homeowners — a clear-cut roadmap toward peak efficiency that not only helps the planet but reduces your monthly utility expenses. If you’ve ever wondered why certain rooms are hard to keep comfortable, why your energy bills keep climbing, or simply where to start on making your home more efficient, a home energy audit is the answer. Here’s everything you need to know: what an audit is, why you need one, what types are available, when to get one, and how to prepare.
What Is a Home Energy Audit?
A home energy audit — also known as a home energy assessment — is a comprehensive check-up of your home’s energy use. The US Department of Energy recommends a thorough room-by-room assessment to provide a complete picture of how energy is being consumed and where it’s being lost.
During an audit, professionals examine your home’s energy consumption using a variety of tools and techniques. They assess windows, doors, lighting, appliances, electrical outlets, the attic, crawl spaces, insulation, and heating and cooling systems. Depending on the scope of the audit, thermographic and diagnostic inspections — including infrared camera testing, blower door testing, duct blast testing, and pressure diagnostics — may also be performed to uncover hidden inefficiencies.
After the audit, your energy specialist assesses their findings and creates a comprehensive home energy report with actionable recommendations tailored to your specific home.
Why You Need One
A home energy audit gives you clear answers about where and why energy is being lost and which systems are operating inefficiently. Beyond cost savings, a thorough audit can also identify health and safety issues in your home — problems that might otherwise go unnoticed until they become serious. This information helps homeowners prioritize repairs and make smart, budget-friendly improvements.
For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, energy efficiency improvements identified through an audit offer a direct path to climate change mitigation. And practically speaking: a more energy-efficient home means lower utility bills, greater comfort, and increased property value.
What Types of Energy Audits Are Available?
Not all energy audits are one and the same. Your options depend on the level of evaluation involved:
Standard Walk-Through Audit — This inspection evaluates what’s visible to the naked eye. It covers windows, doors, lighting, joists, appliances, and electrical outlets; air leaks and improper sealing; crawl space, basement, and attic insulation; and ventilation, heating, and cooling systems. It’s a practical first step for most homeowners.
Detailed Survey and Analysis — In addition to the walk-through, supplementary field tests use specialized equipment — infrared cameras, blower doors, duct blast testers — to reveal hidden energy inefficiencies and measure actual energy consumption and loss. This level of analysis uncovers underlying issues that a standard walk-through can’t detect.
Whole-Home Assessment — A top-to-bottom professional evaluation that combines all of the above. Results from a quality whole-home audit are essential for prioritizing the best efficiency upgrades and improvement projects. Greenlink’s 360-degree building science approach thoroughly inspects the ins and outs of a home’s performance from top to bottom.
When To Get One — Including in Summer
Any time is a good time to get a home energy audit. You should schedule an assessment before or soon after purchasing a home to understand its energy efficiency from the start. After an initial audit, schedule follow-up inspections based on the age of your home — older homes every few years, newer homes less frequently. If you make any construction changes or notice new energy problems, schedule an audit immediately.
Summer is a particularly suitable time for an audit. Specific underlying problems — such as cooling inefficiencies and air leakage — become more prominent in warmer weather. While some assume summer audits are less effective due to a smaller exterior/interior temperature variance, auditors can account for this using air conditioning or by conducting tests during cooler parts of the day. There’s no reason to suffer through rising cooling costs when solutions are within reach.
In between professional audits, it’s a good idea to perform a simple self-check every year — looking for air leaks at junctures between walls, ceilings, doors, windows, and electrical outlets, and checking attic insulation and HVAC systems for signs of trouble.
How To Prepare for Your Audit
Getting the most out of your home energy assessment starts before the auditor arrives.
Know your home inside and out. Make a list of problem areas you’ve already noticed — hot or cold spots, drafts, moisture or mold issues, allergy or pest concerns. Your inside knowledge helps the auditor diagnose issues more quickly, whether they relate to air leakage, insulation gaps, or system performance. Share this list when the auditor arrives.
Gather your energy bills. Collect at least 12 months of utility bills — electricity, heating, and cooling. This usage history helps the auditor identify patterns, flag anything that looks off, and build a clearer picture of where energy is being lost before the inspection even begins.
Prepare the space. Make it easy for the auditor to conduct a thorough inspection:
- Clear access to attics, crawl spaces, basements, water heaters, boilers, and furnaces
- Close and latch all windows and doors
- Open curtains and raise window blinds
- Secure pets and keep children clear of the inspection areas
- If you have a fireplace, empty the ash or cover it with damp newspaper
How Long Is an Audit Good For?
After an initial audit, the frequency of follow-up assessments depends on your home’s age and any changes you make to it. Older homes are more prone to energy issues and benefit from audits every few years. Newer homes, built with energy efficiency in mind, need them less often. Any time you complete construction that affects energy efficiency — or notice new problems developing — schedule an audit promptly.
Greenlink Energy Solutions serves homeowners throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Our BPI-certified auditors take a whole-home science approach to every assessment, walking through the process with your concerns in mind. Contact us today to schedule your audit and take the first step toward a more comfortable, more efficient home.