Qualified Rowan County residents have an opportunity to save energy and money with a low-cost home energy audit being offered through Cooperative Extension’s E-Conservation Program.
The E-Conservation Program is an ongoing collaborative project between N.C. Cooperative Extension, N.C. State University and the State Energy Office, with the mission of helping homeowners reduce residential energy usage and the associated costs.
Energy Assessments evaluate a home’s air leaks, insulation and the heating/air conditioning system. Professional Building Science Specialists will conduct a 2- to 4-hour inspection of your home including a blower door test to check for house holes and energy leaks.
At the conclusion of the home assessment, the homeowners will receive a written evaluation and recommendations on ways to improve the home’s energy efficiency. Recommendations can include adding insulation, caulking house holes, using a programmable thermostat, servicing the furnace or changing personal energy use habits to reduce energy use and save money.
The homeowners will then be responsible for acting on the recommendations made by the building science specialist.
These audits are valued at $500, but will only cost homeowners $100 through this special program. There are a limited number of audits available and your local Cooperative Extension office will be scheduling the audits during the month of October.
To qualify to receive a home energy assessment, your home must be no larger than 2,000 square feet; have only one heating/air conditioning system; be 5 years old or older; and be located in Rowan County. Homeowners must provide a copy of their most recent utility bill, provide a two-year average of their utility bills, sign a consent form, agree to be present at the home during the 2- to 4-hour home assessment, pay the Building Science Specialist $100 and participate in surveys from Cooperative Extension after the energy assessment. In addition, the homeowner must attend an Extension energy conservation workshop.
The next workshop scheduled is titled, Energy-saving Measures for Homeowers. This workshop will be held Oct. 21 at 6- 7:30 p.m. at the Rowan County Agriculture Center.
Anyone interested in taking advantage of this opportunity to save energy and money, should contact the Rowan County Center of N.C. Cooperative Extension at 704-216-8970, Toi N. Degree.
The deadline for registering for this workshop is Oct. 17. At the time of registration, someone will request your contact information in order to send you additional information concerning the home energy assessments.