The Home Energy Audit is a great start for making home energy improvements. The audit:

• Provides an overview of your home’s typical energy use
• Identifies specific areas within your home that could benefit from energy efficiency improvements and explain the corrective measures
• Prioritizes energy efficiency improvements that will contribute most to reduced energy use

The items installed during the audit can reduce a home’s energy use by up to 5%. A typical residential customer uses 952 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month on average. You may be able to save up to 600 kWh per year depending on the condition of your home and the number of improvements installed.

The audit is only the first step — it identifies areas for efficiency improvements. Take action on the recommendations and you could significantly increase your comfort and savings.

The report will be a written record of what the auditor found at your home and their recommendations for improvements. The report will be mailed to the mailing address listed on your Idaho Power account.

Home performance specialists (HPSs) participating in this program have met the required professional and educational prerequisites to be certified to the highest standard in the industry. The designation of HPS ensures they are qualified to conduct your home performance evaluation.

Yes, you must be present when the home performance specialist (HPS) is working on your home. The homeowner plays an active part in an energy audit, helping the HPS by answering questions. The HPS also shares information on what they find at the home, as well as what can be done to improve the efficiency and safety of the home. It’s a great opportunity to learn and ask questions.

Appointments are generally 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Please provide at least 24-hours notice to the HPS if you are not able to keep your appointment.

When the auditor arrives, please pay $99 for all-electric homes (electric space and water heating), or $149 for other homes (gas, propane and other fuel for space and/or water heating), in the form of cash or check. The remaining cost of the audit will be covered by Idaho Power’s Home Energy Audit program.

• The auditor will need access to all the rooms in your house, the heating and cooling equipment, the attic and the basement or crawlspace. Clear items away from these areas for safe access.
• If you have a wood fireplace or stove, remove the ash and place several sheets of damp newspaper over the remaining ash to avoid a mess during the blower door test.
• Pets need to be kept safely away from the auditor. During the audit, doors may be opened several times, so pets that aren’t allowed outside will need to be kept in a safe location.
• Write down any questions or concerns you have ahead of time.

Be an active participant! Let your home performance specialist (HPS) know up front what concerns you have and point out uncomfortable areas in your home. Ask questions and take notes. If you’re not familiar with a term, ask for clarification.

Once the audit is complete, the HPS will review his findings and recommendations with you. He will also prepare a report of the information. The report is your record of the audit and provides a prioritized list of recommended improvements with approximate costs and expected energy savings.

Take action! Use the report as a roadmap to improve the comfort of your home.

Recommendations are made based on what is found at each individual home. For instance, one home may have very little attic insulation, while another home may be well insulated but have a spare, inefficient refrigerator in the garage using significant energy. The HPS will share information about incentive programs and tax credits relevant to specific recommendations.

Any services beyond the initial audit and installation of improvements are the financial responsibility of the homeowner.

The home performance specialists (HPSs) are trained, certified and experienced professionals. In addition, jobs will randomly be selected for review by a trained and certified professional third-party.

Once you receive recommendations for your home, you decide how to proceed. Some types of improvements may have incentives available if using one of our participating contractors (see links below). For other improvements, you can get recommendations from trusted sources and solicit bids from other contractors before making your selection.

Please see our Hiring a Contractor Tips.

Any additional services provided after the initial visit are the financial responsibility of the homeowner.