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Contractor home audits look to save energy By Jayne Gest Saving energy has become a common concern with high electric bills and gas prices, but as early as this summer, a new state program could help Delawareans save a little green at home. The Delaware Home Performance program, which is part of a state and federal energy initiative, improves the energy efficiency of existing homes, while helping protect the environment, through an energy audit and retrofit. Contractors, who are trained and certified by the Delaware Energy Office, diagnose hidden causes of high-energy bills from drafty, hot or cold rooms to mold and moisture problems. After an audit, a homeowner can pick and choose what to renovate in the house such as sealing air leaks, adding insulation or upgrading heating or cooling equipment. “It’s beneficial to everyone,” said Charley Roberson, energy program planner with the Delaware Energy Office. She’s been working hard to get the program up and going after a federal grant to the Mid-Atlantic region of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., was awarded. The Delaware Home Performance program works hand-in-hand with the existing Energy Answers grant, she said. That program offers homeowners and businesses grants to help offset the cost of new, energy-saving products. The average Delaware household pays $2,975 a year in utility bills and with a 20% reduction in energy bills after a home performance retrofit, Delawareans could save $595 a year, according to one of the program’s information packets. In addition to saving homeowners money, contractors can expand their business while better helping their customers. Roberson said at a recent contractor training session held March 12 to 14, five contractors participated with more already signed up for the next session in June. The contractors have to pass Building Analyst training through the Building Performance Institute. The first written exam for the contractors will be held in the beginning of April, and she said she’s hoping by the end of April the first contractors will be completely trained and certified. Roberson said there’s been a lot of interest by contractors who learned about the program at home shows. Maryland, which has been working on getting their program up and running as well, has seen that same interest. Hannah Wood, marketing manager for the program, said they’ve had 40 contractors go through the training, with eight being fully certified, and are adding more every week. Contractors must not only go to training but participate in mentoring sessions and get the proper equipment. “A lot of contractors have been doing energy audits before,” she said, “but this incorporates newer features into the audit.” Wood said the program acts as quality assurance for homeowners who know they are getting knowledgeable contractors. It also helps turn an audit into real savings. Homeowners might get an energy audit but don’t do anything about it or don’t know how to prioritize the areas that need fixed, she said. “It’s more of a one-stop shop,” Wood said.
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