Our home energy audits include advanced testing to determine the total air loss in your home and HVAC system. Leaks in the ducting and around fixtures in your home mean money wasted. In as little as two hours, one of our teams can test you entire home, fix areas of immediate concern and discuss additional options for even more energy savings.

* Is It Really Free?

In most cases, there is no cost to the homeowner. The cost of your audit and the work involved in sealing up leaks and creating a more energy efficient home is covered by incentives from various electric providers. For more information and to determine if you qualify for the FREE home energy audit, please contact us.

What We Do

Your energy audit will start with the arrival of a team of trained energy technicians. These technicians will:

Prepare your home for air loss detection tests
- Conduct a thorough inspection of the home
- Install portable fan(s) and doorway venting for proper home seal
- Seal your HVAC Duct system
Conduct HVAC air loss testing with state-of-the-art electronic equipment
Inspect the HVAC system for leaks and repair any leaks found
Conduct a follow-up air loss test to test improved efficiency
Conduct a whole home air loss test
Identify any areas of abnormal air loss and repair those areas
- Plumbing penetrations
- Lighting fixtures and switchplates
- Attic access
- Exhaust fan penetration

Service Areas: We service the whole state of Texas.

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Deregulation and Other Industry Information

Energy deregulation is a relatively new phenomenon in Texas. Prior to deregulation, one electric company handled the three basic components of your electrical service:

Generation - the production of electricity
Transmission & Distribution - the delivery of electricity across poles and wires to your home or business
Retail Sales - the sale of electricity to end users, coupled with customer service and billing functions

The generation of electrical power was deregulated in Texas in 1995, bringing with it a greater variety of efficient power source options, such as natural gas, water, wind, solar, nuclear power and coal.

The transmission and distribution of electricity across poles and wires is still regulated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to ensure the safety and reliability of electric service. Transmission and distribution services are provided by local wires companies that are responsible for the maintenance of poles and wires, as well as for responding to power outages and emergencies.

The retail sale of electricity was officially deregulated in 1999, and opened the Texas energy market for competition beginning in January 2002. Retail sales of electricity are provided by companies known as Retail Electric Providers (REPs), which are certified to do business by the Public Utility Commission. REPs purchase energy from generation sources and then sell the energy directly to consumers and businesses. REPs provide customer service and billing functions, and they compete for consumer business through lower rate offers.

There are two types of REPs - Affiliate Retail Electric Providers (AREPs) and Competitive Retail Electric Providers (CREPs).

AREPs were part of the original electric company that generated and sold electricity in your area. Now AREPs only sell electricity and provide customer service.
CREPs are certified by the PUC and sell electricity to homes and businesses and provide functions like customer service and billing. Customers who choose to switch from an AREP to a CREP have the possibility of saving money with more competitive pricing.

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Energy Terms and Definitions

Texas Electric Choice Act of 1999 (also called Senate Bill 7):
Calls for a reduction in statewide energy consumption through market–based standard offer programs and limited market transformation programs.

This is the legislation that began the energy efficiency programs
Sets mandated energy demand goals for the transmission and distribution portion of the electric companies. TXU Electric delivery annual goal is 10% reduction in system demand growth
The electric companies report their energy savings to the PUCT annually.

PUCT
Public Utility Commission of Texas; The regulatory agency for electricity companies. See: www.puc.state.tx.us/

ESI ID
Electric Service Identifier; In the Oncor electric delivery area, it is a 17 digit number and it starts with 1044372000xxxxxxx. The ESI ID is a unique number for the property address. Found on a customer's electric bill.

Electric Meter
Device attached to the outside of the house that measures your electricity usage. This is how the Utility companies measure your consumption. Most meters are analog(spin dials) and now there are new digital meters being installed.

Meter #
8 digit number located on electric meter. Also has a brand such as: General Electric, Westinghouse, Landis and Gyr, etc.

HVAC
Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning. The proper terminology for a central (i.e. ducted) heating/cooling system. See: wiki - HVAC for information on how an HVAC system works

Condensing Unit
Also referred to as "Condensor", or "Compressor". This is the outside unit. Responsible for the cooling portion of the system.

Air Handler/Furnace
This is the inside unit. Responsible for producing air that is generated throughout the duct system, and is responsible for generating heat when needed.

DOE
Department of Energy. See: www.doe.gov

Insulation
Materials used (such as cellulose, fiberglass, polyurethane, etc.) to slow heat transfer. Located in floors, walls, attic, etc. The higher the R-value, the more resistant the area is to heat transfer. The DOE recommends an R-value for Texas in the attics to be AT LEAST and R-38 or above.

See: wiki - Insulation

Radiant Barrier
A material that actually REFLECTS the sun's radiant energy from entering the structure. Sprayed on the underside of the roof. We use a product called "E-Barrier" , from Sherwin Williams. This is NOT a measure that is part of the contract with the Electric Utility Providers.

Energy Efficiency Installation Measures
A set of PUCT approved energy efficiency installations for which a reduction in energy demand is achieved. The measure we do for every house is called "Duct Efficiency". We also do "Air Infiltration Reduction" and "Attic Insulation". Radiant Barrier is NOT an approved installation.

Duct Blaster
Device we use to measure the amount of air loss in CFM's in the duct system.

CFM = cubic feet/minute of air loss

Blower Door
Device that measures the amount of air loss in the building structure.

Duct Efficiency
A PUCT approved energy efficiency installation that after our work, will reduce leakage in the duct system. Typically, houses are losing between 25 to 50% of their air, causing increased stress on the unit, temperature differentials in rooms, and much higher electric bills than needed. See handout for the different types of duct efficiency terms. A MINIMUM of 3 measures are required. We do a "leakage to outside, duct pressurization test" to measure the amount of air loss in the duct system. We have to achieve AT LEAST 90% efficiency (or 10% or less air loss) for the system to "pass". The numbers are based on the condensor size in tons. 1 ton = 400 CFM. See AirFlow Requirements handout for air flow requirements based on condensing unit size.

Air Infiltration Reduction (also called "Weatherization")
A PUCT approved energy efficiency installation that after our work, will have at LEAST a 10% reduction in air loss of the structure. Some of the measures we do to achieve the 10% reduction are: caulking windows, door weatherstripping, sealing furnace closet, sealing plumbing penetrations, etc. We use the Blower Door, in a "depressurization" test to measure the amount of air loss in CFM's. A building that is one story is considered "tight" if the CFM's are close to the sq. ft. of the structure. See handout for a list of air infiltration measures.

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We Can Match You With Local Real Estate Agents (Nationwide)

Call Today To Speak With An Agent: 1-888-Home-484

Tom Hedrick :: Texas Real Estate Broker # 0463271

1801 State Highway 31 East Kilgore Texas 75662

Information About Brokerage Services

Call: 1-888-HOME-484

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