How to prepare for a Virtual Home Energy Visit

Spend some time thinking about what you’d like to get out of your virtual visit. Make a list of existing issues in your home and questions that you want to share with your energy professional, before your meeting. Your list may include the following: visible condensation, uncomfortable or drafty rooms, mold or mildew, dampness, odors, icicles along your eaves, and pest problems (ants, mice, etc.).

Plan to use a mobile device, like a smartphone or a tablet. These will be easier to use than a laptop when showing your energy consultant around the house.

To do a thorough inspection, you will need easy access to the following areas: attic, basement, and crawl spaces; electric panels; and heating and water heating systems. Try to make those spaces easily accessible before the visit. For example, if you’d like your consultant to see your attic, set up a ladder ahead of time. For dark spaces, please have a flashlight at the ready. If you'd like to have these areas assessed but we're unable to access these spaces virtually, we can always take a look when we are conducting in-person visits again.

• Age of the home
• Home type (Farmhouse, ranch, colonial, etc.)
• Number of occupants
• Number of heating and cooling zones
• Heating sources and fuel-type(s)
• Presence of energy-intensive appliances or devices (such as heat pumps, electric space heaters, or medical equipment).

If you’d like your energy consultant to evaluate your fuel usage (recommended), prepare copies of your energy bills from the past 12 months. Gather together electricity, heating, and cooling bills, or request copies from your electric utility or fuel dealer. Your energy professional would want to know the quantity (in gallons) of fuel used, not the amount you paid. If you used wood or another supplemental fuel, have those quantities available too.