Published on June 04, 2021
An energy audit will be the most effective tool for the health of your home, and one of the most important investments you can make. The task of turning your house into an energy efficient home begins with an energy audit.
If you’ve already taken the steps and scheduled your energy audit, here is a list of things you will need to know, including some tips on how to prepare your home for an energy audit.
An energy audit is a thorough inspection and analysis of the energy efficiency of your home. The purpose of the energy audit is to determine how efficient your home currently is, while pinpointing areas throughout the home that are not performing at peak efficiency.
The purpose of the energy audit is to assess the performance of the home, both as a whole and its individual components. The energy audit will reveal if the home is performing at its best, or if improvements can be made to increase efficiency. The inspection and any recommended upgrades will help identify and mitigate issues like uneven temperatures throughout your home, drafts, high utility bills, comfort issues, and moisture problems.
Energy audits are conducted by a Registered Energy Advisor. A Registered Energy Advisor is a licensed and certified professional who has to pass a number of qualifying exams through Natural Resources Canada. These exams test their knowledge on a number of different areas, including building knowledge and building science, energy efficiency, and EnerGuide.
Energy audits are also called energy assessments, but regardless of their name, you can be sure you are taking the most important step in achieving an energy efficient home.
Since an energy audit is an analysis of the energy performance of the home, there are several components to a whole home energy audit. These components help determine the overall energy efficiency of your home, while also demonstrating exactly where you can make improvements to increase the performance of your home.
The first component to a whole home energy audit is a blower door test. A blower door test is a tool utilized by your Registered Energy Advisor to calculate air leakage in the house. Air leakage is a major factor in determining whole home energy efficiency and performance, so this test provides crucial information.
Second, you’ll be provided with an EnerGuide label and report. The EnerGuide label provides a snapshot of the energy efficiency rating of the home. The label is very similar to those placed on appliances.
This also includes a Renovation Upgrade Report (RUR), which outlines the exact upgrades your Registered Energy Advisor recommends for your home. The recommended upgrades are specific and personalized for your home, your needs, and your concerns. The report will indicate how much energy you could save should you choose to complete specific renovations.
Lastly, upon completion of the energy audit, you may be eligible for rebates! The Home Efficiency Rebate is a rebate program administered by Enbridge Gas. If you are an active Enbridge Gas or Union Gas customer, live in a detached, semi-detached, or row townhome, and heat your home with a natural gas furnace you could qualify for up to $5,000 in rebates. The rebates cover upgrades like insulation, furnaces, water heaters, windows and doors, and air sealing. It’s a great opportunity to make your home more energy efficient, save on your energy bills, and get money back for completing upgrades to your home!
If you want to know if you qualify, either call our office at 1-866-333-3920, or fill out a contact form on the Barrier Sciences Group website. We provide free over the phone consultations to determine eligibility for the Home Efficiency Rebate program!
An energy audit is conducted by a Registered Energy Advisor, who is certified and licensed through Natural Resources Canada after successfully passing a number of qualifying exams.
An energy audit should absolutely not be completed by a homeowner, or by someone who is not licensed; always ensure that the person you choose to complete the energy audit on your home is a licensed professional, such as those from Barrier Sciences Group. REA’s are trained and certified professionals who specialize in energy efficiency.
An energy audit can take up anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the size and complexity of the home. Your Registered Energy Advisor has to take measurements of both the inside and outside of the home. They will also take photos of certain items such as the furnace and plate, the attic insulation, and the inside and outside of the home. This is strictly for informational purposes, as they have to input this information into a computer program that will generate the EnerGuide rating and label.
On the day of your energy audit, your Energy Advisor will require a few items be ready prior to their assessment. We’ve provided a complete energy audit checklist so you can be prepared for your whole home energy audit, including some things to keep in mind before the audit is completed!
If you have a wood burning stove or fireplace, be sure to clean it of any embers or ashes prior to your energy audit to avoid any mess or debris from escaping. You should also make sure that it’s not in use at least 1 day before the energy audit so you have time to clean it out. The blower door test will depressurize the home, which could cause the ashes to spill out of the fireplace/stove.
Close all exterior windows and doors on the day of the energy audit. The blower door test requires all windows and doors to be closed for an accurate air leakage reading.
Make notes of any temperature fluctuations or drafts throughout your home. During the blower door test, show your Energy Advisor the areas of concern so they can also make note.
If you have any other areas of concern, be sure to write them down prior to your energy audit. This way, you’ll be fully prepared to ask all your questions when your Energy Advisor arrives.
It may be helpful to also have some recent energy bills available for your Energy Advisor to see. If you are going to qualify for rebates, your Energy Advisor will need your Enbridge Gas or Union Gas account number, which is shown on your most recent bill.
If you’d like to schedule an energy audit on your home, contact us by calling our office at 1-866-333-3920. You can also fill out a contact form on the website www.barriersciences.com/contact and someone will be in touch with you right away to schedule. Having an energy audit completed on your home is the most important tool you can utilize for the health of your home! Don’t hesitate, contact us today!
Homeowners Canada-wide are eligible for the Canada Greener Homes Grant, announced on May 27, 2021. This new incentive offers up to $5,000 in grants for home efficiency retrofit renovations, plus a $600 reimbursement for pre- and post-work EnerGuide evaluations. Eligible retrofit scopes include home insulation, heating, doors, windows, photovoltaic solar panels, resiliency measures, and thermostats.
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