Home Energy Audit Results!
Greetings All !
Well, I finally broke down and paid for a home energy audit. The State of Missouri is now offering homeowners a tax deduction for a home energy audit, plus work that is done as result (because of the recommendations) of that audit.
(See: http://dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=MO83F&re=1&ee=1 AND http://www.dnr.mo.gov/energy/residential/homeenergyaudits.htm )
My thinking was, not only could I take advantage of this tax incentive, I could also include the audit and any followup work as a part of the City’s 353 Tax Abatement Program, which we joined a couple of months ago. A double-whammy on the benefits (hopefully) !!
I consulted the “Missouri Certified Home Energy Auditors” list for Jackson County and found that there are basically only two companies who are certified to provide such audits (and therefore, qualify us for the tax benefits). One was “Hayes Insulation”. The other was “Hathmore Technologies”. (Yes, there are a few other small-timers on that list…. folks who have “generic” email addresses and are probably sole proprietors. I ignored those, as researching those people online would prove to be more difficult.)
So, I checked out the websites for both Hayes and Hathmore. Hayes was more up-front on what they charged ($350) and initially, I decided I’d go with them… but then I “dropped the ball” and did nothing on this for several weeks.
When I came back and went over some of the same research I had done previously, I decided I wanted to go with Hathmore, even though they were likely to be more expensive. Why?
1) Hathmore’s website told me that they specialized in helping people save energy. (With Hayes, on the other hand, hey, they do Rubbermaid closet organizer installations ??? Seemed a little more diverse.)
2) I had stumbled upon what appeared to be the exact final report Hathmore gave for somebody else’s home. It’s in PDF format. It is organized nicely and I was impressed by the number of photos that were in it. I felt that it was a sign that they were thorough. And, to be honest, if you’re “up on” Internet technology (having the option to send clients the report as a PDF file), something tells me you’re going to be “up on” a lot of current technology overall.
3) Add to the two above items that… overall… with this house… I’ve tended to lean towards PAYING FOR THE BEST WHEN I CAN AFFORD IT, especially when it comes to INFORMATION that will help me down the road.
And so, Mary from Hathmore Technologies came out last week Wednesday and spent a little over 3 hours doing her inspection. Yes, she did an extensive blower-test and checked for air leaks, but she also spent a lot of time moving throughout the home, looking at things closely, and taking photos.
The cost was $500 (but be warned that their pricing takes into account how large your home is, how far they have to drive, and I think also how many HVAC units your house has). By Thursday afternoon, she emailed me her final report, which I’m making available to “the world”, so you can see how thorough she was, plus what actual improvements I can make (and there are a ton of them!):
Home Energy Audit for 9725 E. Winner by Hathmore Technologies
This morning, I finally got the time to read through this 22 page report. I have emailed Mary with a few questions, mostly regarding the two options she gives for insulating the attic.
I’ve been very pleased with Hathmore’s responsiveness to my questions and the thoroughness of their inspection. And, of course, I’m very happy with the final report, which prioritizes what I need to do.
The one thing I’m not sure HOW I’m going to accomplish is the insulating of the kitchen roof. That would, theoretically, require that I tear off the tin ceiling there and the woodwork, install a layer of insulation, then put the tin ceiling and the woodwork back. But the woodwork and the tops of the kitchen cabinets are at the same level. So, not sure what I’m going to do there.
But it will be a while before we do any MAJOR work on this anyways. On the other hand, there seems to be a ton of caulking-related work I can do, in the short-term.
Thanks for stopping by the site!
-= Dave =-