Clean Energy for the Rest of Us!
A limited audit begins with information you already have
A limited home energy audit—sometimes called a walk-through, basic, or targeted audit—is a practical first step for getting familiar with your home's energy performance.
Instead of using specialized diagnostic equipment, a limited audit focuses on what you can see, document, and understand. You review your utility bills, look at the condition of accessible insulation, check windows and doors, identify the age of major equipment, and look for obvious places where energy may be wasted.
The goal isn't to produce a perfect computer model of your home. The goal is to find the obvious opportunities, identify questions worth investigating, and help you decide what to do next.
That distinction matters.
Your home is a system. Heating and cooling, insulation, air leakage, windows, appliances, lighting, electrical capacity, and your everyday habits all affect how much energy you use and how comfortable your home feels. A limited audit can help you begin putting those pieces together.
For many homeowners, that's enough to get started.
Your past 12 months of electricity and natural gas bills can tell you a great deal about your home's energy patterns. Look for seasonal changes, unusually high months, changes in consumption, and differences from year to year.
Don't just look at the dollar amount. Energy prices change, so the amount you pay isn't necessarily a good measure of how much energy your home uses.
If possible, record your actual electricity and gas consumption. This gives you a baseline that you can use later to see whether an improvement is actually making a difference.
A walk-through gives you an opportunity to look at the parts of your home that are accessible without opening walls or taking equipment apart.
If you can safely access your attic, basement, or crawlspace, look at the insulation. Is there insulation? Does it appear continuous? Are there obvious thin or missing areas?
Then look around the outside of your home. Pay attention to places where different materials meet—the foundation and walls, around windows and doors, at penetrations, and along the roofline.
You aren't trying to diagnose every problem. You're looking for obvious clues.
Windows and doors are another place where you can look for visible problems.
Check for cracked glass, damaged frames, failed seals, deteriorated caulking, and missing or damaged weatherstripping. Notice whether you feel drafts around doors or windows when it's windy or when the temperature difference between inside and outside is significant.
A limited audit won't tell you the precise amount of energy being lost through a particular window. But it can help you identify where further investigation may be worthwhile.
Take a look at your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, and other major equipment.
Record the manufacturer, model number, serial number, and approximate age when that information is accessible. Equipment age can help you understand what you are working with and start thinking about future replacement decisions.
This is particularly important if a piece of equipment is approaching the end of its expected service life.
Don't wait until something fails before you start thinking about what comes next.
If your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, or other combustion equipment needs replacement, you want time to understand your options rather than making an emergency decision.
Walk through your home and make a simple inventory of major appliances and lighting.
Which appliances are older? Which ones run continuously or frequently? Are your light fixtures still using incandescent bulbs, or have you already moved to LEDs?
Again, the point isn't to calculate the exact energy consumption of every device. It's to build a picture of where your home's energy is going and where relatively simple improvements may be possible.
A limited audit can also include a basic visual safety screen.
Check that smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are present and appear to be functioning. Look for obvious electrical hazards such as damaged cords, overloaded outlets, or other conditions that should be evaluated by a qualified professional.
This is not an electrical, HVAC, or combustion-safety inspection. If you see something that concerns you, stop and have the appropriate professional investigate it.
It's just as important to understand what you aren't getting.
A limited audit does not provide the same level of information as a comprehensive professional energy assessment.
There is typically no blower door test to measure the total amount of air leaking through your home's envelope. There is no specialized duct leakage test to determine how much conditioned air is escaping from your ductwork.
You also won't typically get infrared imaging to identify hidden insulation gaps or temperature differences inside walls and ceilings.
Finished walls won't be opened to inspect insulation, and electrical outlet covers generally won't be removed to investigate what is behind them.
A limited audit also does not include specialized combustion-safety testing. If your home has fuel-burning equipment, additional professional testing may be appropriate, particularly when you are considering changes to heating, water heating, or ventilation.
And you shouldn't expect a computerized energy model that precisely predicts your home's energy performance or calculates an exact return on investment for every possible improvement.
That's okay.
A limited audit isn't supposed to answer every question. It's supposed to help you ask better questions.
Once you've completed your walk-through, organize what you've found.
You might discover that your attic insulation is clearly inadequate. You might find that several windows need attention. You might realize that your furnace and water heater are both getting old. Or you may discover that you don't really know how much energy your home uses because you've never looked at your bills beyond the amount due.
Those discoveries are valuable.
Instead of immediately buying a new appliance or calling a contractor for an emergency replacement, you can begin creating a picture of your home and its priorities.
Think about your findings in three categories:
Things I can address now.
These might include LED lighting, thermostat settings, weatherstripping, basic air sealing, or other simple improvements.
Things I need to investigate.
These might include insulation levels, drafts, HVAC performance, ductwork, electrical capacity, or an aging water heater.
Things I need professional help with.
These could include combustion safety, electrical work, HVAC diagnostics, blower door testing, infrared imaging, or other specialized assessments.
This approach can save you from jumping directly to an expensive solution before you understand the problem.
Think of a limited home energy audit as learning to know your home.
You are creating a baseline. You're documenting what you have. You're noticing what you can see. You're identifying the questions you need answered.
From there, you can decide whether you need a more detailed professional assessment—or whether you have enough information to begin making some straightforward improvements.
The most important thing is to start.
Know your home. Plan your upgrades. Power your future.
Take Away
Gather the past 12 months of electricity bills.
Gather the past 12 months of natural gas or other fuel bills.
Record monthly energy consumption, not just the dollar amount.
Look for seasonal patterns and unusually high months.
Note any major changes in occupancy, equipment, or energy use.
Safely look at accessible attic insulation.
Look for obvious areas where insulation is missing or thin.
Check accessible basement or crawlspace areas.
Walk around the exterior of the home.
Look for obvious gaps around the foundation and walls.
Look for visible gaps or deterioration around the roofline.
Check visible joints and penetrations for obvious openings.
Look for cracked or damaged glass.
Check visible window seals.
Look for damaged or missing weatherstripping.
Check exterior caulking around windows and doors.
Look for obvious drafts.
Identify windows or doors that may need further evaluation.
Record the age of your furnace.
Record the age of your air conditioner or heat pump.
Record the age of your water heater.
Record model and serial numbers when accessible.
Note any equipment that is aging or frequently needs repair.
Identify equipment that may need replacement in the next few years.
Begin researching alternatives before equipment fails.
Make a list of major household appliances.
Identify older, frequently used appliances.
Check lighting for incandescent bulbs.
Replace appropriate incandescent bulbs with LEDs.
Note appliances that run continuously or for long periods.
Identify simple efficiency improvements you can make now.
Check that smoke alarms are present.
Check that carbon monoxide detectors are present.
Test alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Look for damaged electrical cords.
Look for obvious electrical hazards.
Make a note of anything that should be evaluated by a qualified professional.
List the easiest improvements you can make now.
List problems that need more investigation.
Identify equipment that may need replacement soon.
Identify questions you want to ask a contractor or energy professional.
Decide whether you need a professional energy assessment.
Keep your audit notes with your home's other important records.
Review your energy use again after making improvements.
Remember: A limited audit is not a substitute for specialized testing or a comprehensive professional energy assessment. It is a way to get oriented, establish a baseline, and prepare yourself for better conversations with the contractors and professionals who may help you with your home.
Future Proofing Your Home & Life
First start with a basic plan
