There are three main components to a house that are responsible for energy usage.
One is the building envelope. The building envelope is made up of the surfaces that keep the weather out and comfort in. Walls, ceilings, floors, etc.
The second is the thermal envelope. The thermal envelope prevents heat from escaping through things that are poor insulators (like drywall).
Having one envelope without the other makes it nearly impossible to stay warm or cool indoors without spending too much on energy bills.
Although there are numerous ways to estimate how good or bad a house is from an energy usage standpoint, the best way is to see how it performs during bad weather. That sounds easy but how can you schedule a house test for a bad weather day when weather forecasters barely know what is hapening tomorrow? We create our own weather by using a blower door to simulate a windy day on any day of the year. Then we find the areas that let air get into your house and make a list of needed repairs to prevent the unwanted ventilation.
That takes care of the building envelope but what about the thermal envelope?
We use our thermal imager to look at the walls and ceiling. It works like an X-ray and shows us the temperature inside the walls with an accuracy of 1/10 of a degree F.
Combine those methods with a thorough visual inspection and you have a recipe for comfort and economy. There are no surprises when a methodical approach such as this is employed.
The third component is the heating and cooling system. Until the envelopes are in order, no system will perform effectively.
We have more experience in diagnosing home performance problems than anyone in the lehigh Valley. We have been troubleshooting comfort and high energy bill issues for over 50 years. With the addition of the most modern tools and techniques, we have an unbeatable energy retrofit plan to fit any budget.
Here's more on the FSI Whole House Comfort Checkup
