Home Energy Performance FAQs

There are many ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency, including adding insulation, air sealing, and upgrading systems such as your heating and air conditioning system. During Wisconsin Home Improvement’s home energy audit process, we will inspect all these elements and provide you with a comprehensive proposal.

We recommend that you complete a home energy audit if you are experiencing comfort issues, condensation issues, ice damming or a increase in utility bills.

Our home energy audits are designed to identify various factors leading to energy inefficiency, with air leakage, insufficient insulation, and inadequate attic ventilation topping the list of common issues. Air leaks can significantly compromise comfort and lead to soaring energy costs. Furthermore, we frequently discover that many homes, especially older ones, suffer from poor insulation quality or lack insulation altogether, exacerbating energy loss. Additionally, while assessing older homes, we often encounter outdated, combustion-based appliances that pose serious safety risks due to high carbon monoxide emissions. Homes with such appliances typically require improved ventilation solutions or a complete appliance upgrade to ensure safety and enhance energy efficiency.

During our home energy audits, our experts will perform a series of comprehensive tests that inspect and measure your home’s efficiency from top to bottom. Tests include infrared thermal imaging and diagnostics to identify thermal gaps in your home’s perimeter; blower door draft testing; combustion safety testing to test furnaces, water heaters, and gas stovetops for proper and safe venting of gases formed from burning; and attic, basement, and exterior assessments to find under-insulated areas and identify moisture and mold issues.

Once our Wisconsin Home Improvement performance team has completed its inspection, we create a comprehensive work proposal that details all your home’s systems and our recommendations for ways to improve them in terms of safety, energy efficiency, and cost. We highly encourage homeowners to remain with us during audits and ask questions along the way, and we are always happy to chat more once you have reviewed our report.

Regardless of when your home was built, even new constructions designed with energy efficiency in mind can encounter comfort or durability issues, such as ice damming, condensation, or unusually high utility bills. An energy audit is an excellent first step in addressing these concerns, offering a comprehensive evaluation to identify and rectify any inefficiencies or problems within your home’s systems.

The main priority for energy efficient upgrading can vary, depending on the context and goals of the upgrade, but, generally, there are several key considerations, including reducing energy consumption, reducing energy costs, reducing environmental impact, and increasing resident comfort and safety.

According to the IRS, the following improvements qualify for the energy efficiency upgrade tax credit: 

• Replacing exterior doors, windows, skylights, and insulation materials
• Purchasing new central air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps
• Installing biomass stoves and boilers 
• Home energy audits

Yes! Please see our rebates and finance page for more information.

According to the IRS website, the amount of credit you can take is calculated as a percentage of the total improvement expenses. From 2023 through 2032 you may take 30% of your material costs as a credit, up to a maximum of $1,200. Additionally, heat pumps, biomass stoves, and boilers have a separate annual credit limit of $2,000. There is no lifetime limit on energy efficient home improvement tax credits.

Over the years, we have successfully installed spray foam, fiberglass, cellulose, and rigid foam insulation, all of which offer homeowners various benefits. We believe in tailoring the insulation to the job, and we will be happy to discuss which options best suit your space.

Focus on Energy rebates are currently available for residential customers in Wisconsin who invest in insulation, air sealing, heating and cooling upgrades, and more. This includes up to $1,800 in rebates on attic insulation and air sealing for your home and $450 in rebates for exterior wall insulation.