The BetterBuildings for Michigan energy assessment costs homeowners $100, a discount from the typical price of $350 for such inspections.
Anyone who owns a single-family home or a house with 1-4 units with working utilities in Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw or Wayne County can participate.
BetterBuildings for Michigan is a federally funded program that is coordinated through the State of Michigan, the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office and local municipalities to help homeowners reduce energy use, save money on their utility bills and enjoy more comfortable living and working spaces.
BetterBuildings for Michigan offers all the best tools and state-of-the-art techniques to find the right energy solutions for your home. We start with low-cost professional inspections of homes – also called energy audits – that pinpoint where homes are losing energy and measure the efficiency of a home’s heating and cooling system.
Energy Advisors who conduct the assessments issue a personalized report with their findings to the homeowner. They will also install energy efficient lightbulbs, showerheads, faucets and programmable thermostats – at no extra cost – and suggest additional cost-effective, energy saving improvements, such as insulation and energy efficient appliances, etc. In addition, financial support to help pay for the home improvements is available through the BetterBuildings for Michigan program.
Professional energy assessments generally go into great detail. The Energy Advisor should do a room-by-room examination of the residence, as well as a thorough examination of past utility bills. The assessment also includes a Combustion Air Zone test, which can uncover safety and health hazards. This data is entered into a U.S. Department of Energy-approved computer model to determine the savings from any improvements. Advisors use a variety of techniques and equipment during the evaluation, including blower doors that evaluate the extent of structural leaks and infrared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and inadequate insulation.
BetterBuildings for Michigan offers financial assistance to those who choose to install additional energy saving measures, including rebates totaling up to $5,000 in select communities until March 31. All communities in southeast Michigan have access to rebates through the local utilities for energy improvements.
We often find low-cost ways of achieving an additional 15% energy savings for homes that have already implemented energy efficiencies. The key is the diagnostic equipment the Energy Advisors use to discover hidden problems in your home.
Further, if your home is already very energy efficient, but still has strong electric needs (average monthly electric bills of $50 - $100) then we can enroll you in our new solar program which installs solar panels for $0 up front and is paid for by the energy produced by the panels. Just mark the solar checkbox when you sign up
BetterBuildings for Michigan contracts with authorized professionals who receive independent quality assurance reviews to perform the assessments and install the upgrades. These companies were selected through a competitive process, meet all necessary certifications, and receive independent quality assurance checks. :
To see the list, click here.
BetterBuildings for Michigan is funded by a $30 million federal grant the State of Michigan received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Partners include the U.S. Department of Energy, the State of Michigan Energy Office, the City of Detroit’s Economic Development Corp., the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office (SEMREO), Michigan Saves, DTE Energy, and Consumers Energy.
More than 30 local governments in communities throughout Michigan are participating in the BetterBuildings for Michigan program. For more information, call the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office at 313-566-4801 or email info@MIHomeEnergy.org.
| 22757 Woodward Avenue | Ferndale, MI 48220 | 313.566.4801
