A professional home energy audit costs $437 on average in the US, with most homeowners paying between $212 and $698 (2026, Angi and HomeAdvisor). A basic walk-through can be as low as $100, a full diagnostic audit of a large home can reach $2,400, and many utilities offer one for $0 to $100. The federal $150 tax credit for audits no longer applies to audits paid for after December 31, 2025.
This guide covers the cost of a home energy audit by type and home size, what each test finds, utility programs that cut the price, a worked payback example, and what to do with the report afterwards.
What is a home energy audit?
A home energy audit, which the US Department of Energy (DOE) calls a home energy assessment, is an inspection that shows where your house loses energy and which fixes are worth paying for.
A professional home energy audit includes a room-by-room examination and a review of past utility bills. Auditors use blower doors, infrared cameras, furnace efficiency meters and surface thermometers. You get a written report with recommended upgrades. The audit itself saves nothing; the savings come from acting on the report.
How much does a home energy audit cost?
Both Angi and HomeAdvisor report a national average of $437, a typical range of $212 to $698, and a full range of $100 to $2,400 (2026). Price depends mostly on home size and the tests included, at about $0.08 to $0.50 per square foot (HomeAdvisor, 2026).
| Audit type | Typical cost | What you get | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY audit | $0, or $30–$150 for a kit | Your own checklist of drafts, insulation gaps and old equipment | Angi (2026) |
| Utility-subsidized audit | $0–$150 | Varies: from a visual check to blower door plus free air sealing | Angi (2026) |
| Basic walk-through (ASHRAE Level 1) | $150–$200 | Visual inspection and bill review, no diagnostic tests | HomeAdvisor (2026) |
| Standard audit (ASHRAE Level 2) | $200–$650 | Walk-through plus tests such as blower door and infrared | HomeAdvisor (2026) |
| Comprehensive audit (ASHRAE Level 3) | $650–$900 | Full diagnostics and detailed energy modeling | HomeAdvisor (2026) |
| HERS rating assessment | About $375 | A HERS Index score from a certified rater | HomeAdvisor (2026) |
Angi’s 2026 figures are $100 to $400 for 1,000 square feet, $200 to $700 for 2,000 square feet, and $300 to $1,000 for 3,000 square feet. Auditors charge $75 to $150 per hour (Angi).
Professional home energy audit: what each test finds
DOE advises checking that an auditor uses a calibrated blower door and performs a thermographic (infrared) inspection, or contracts another company to do one.
| Test | What it finds | Cost if priced separately (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Blower door test | How airtight the home is, and where air leaks are | $100–$300 (Angi); about $350 (HomeAdvisor) |
| Infrared camera scan | Missing or thin insulation and hidden leaks | $150–$400 (Angi); about $200 (HomeAdvisor) |
| Duct leakage test | Heated or cooled air escaping into attics and crawl spaces | $100–$300 (Angi); about $100 (HomeAdvisor) |
| Combustion safety test | Gas leaks, poor venting and backdrafting from fuel-burning appliances | $75–$200 (Angi) |
The two cost sites disagree on single-test prices, so treat these as rough guides. Bought separately, the four Angi prices add up to $425 to $1,200, while Angi’s standard audit runs $200 to $700.
How many kWh should your house be using? Compare your bill with the average for your state and home size. See average home electricity use by state
Free home energy audit: utility programs
Before paying full price, check your utility or state energy office. Many run subsidized audits. Prices below are as listed on each program’s page in October 2026.
| Program | Where | Price to customer | What is included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass Save Home Energy Assessment | Massachusetts | No cost | For 1- to 4-unit homes: custom report, 75–100% off approved insulation, no-cost targeted air sealing |
| NYSERDA home energy assessment | New York | No cost | For owners and renters of one- to four-family homes: report with estimated costs and annual savings |
| Energize CT Home Energy Solutions | Connecticut | $40 copay (from April 1, 2026) | Blower door testing, health and safety tests, up to seven hours of air sealing |
| BGE Quick Home Energy Check-up | Maryland | No additional cost | Visual inspection, LED bulbs, weatherstripping and similar items installed |
| BGE Home Performance with ENERGY STAR | Maryland | $100 (BGE lists it as a $400 value) | Comprehensive audit, with rebates averaging $3,000 on follow-up work |
| Xcel Energy Home Energy Squad Plus | Colorado | $100 (listed as reduced from $150) | Blower door test, infrared imaging, summary report, about three hours |
“Free” has limits. Some visits are visual checks with no diagnostic testing, and the contractor who does the assessment often sells the follow-up work. Energize CT states that participants receive about $1,000 in services and save $70 to $100 a year, a useful reality check on what one visit delivers.
Is a home energy audit worth it? A worked payback example
DOE states that making the upgrades identified in a home energy assessment “can save 5-30 percent on your monthly energy bill” (Energy Saver, 2022). The average US residential electricity bill was $142.26 per month in 2024 (EIA).
- Annual electricity bill: $142.26 × 12 = $1,707
- Savings at 5%: $1,707 × 0.05 = $85 per year
- Savings at 30%: $1,707 × 0.30 = $512 per year
- Audit at the $437 average: $437 ÷ $85 = 5.1 years to pay back at 5%, or $437 ÷ $512 = 0.85 years (about 10 months) at 30%
- Audit through a $100 utility program: $100 ÷ $85 = 1.2 years at 5%
Two caveats. This counts only the audit fee, and the upgrades cost extra. The EIA figure also covers electricity only, so homes heated with gas, oil or propane have a larger total bill and larger possible savings.
For a middle estimate, ENERGY STAR calculates that air sealing and insulating saves an average of 11% on total energy costs, ranging from 5% to 16% by climate zone. On the same bill, 11% is $1,707 × 0.11 = $188 per year. To see where your own bill stands, compare electricity cost by state.
An audit pays best in an older or drafty home, or before a large purchase such as a heat pump, windows or solar. It is least useful in a recently built, tight home.
Do it yourself home energy audit checklist
DOE’s Energy Saver site publishes a do-it-yourself assessment. It costs nothing and finds the obvious problems.
- Locate air leaks. Check outlets, window and door frames and pipe penetrations. DOE says reducing drafts may save 10% to 20% per year.
- Seal the leaks with caulk and weatherstripping.
- Consider ventilation. Make sure fuel-burning appliances have enough air supply before tightening the house.
- Check insulation levels in the attic, walls, basement or crawl space, and around ducts.
- Inspect heating and cooling equipment. Check filters, seal duct leaks with mastic, and consider replacing units over 15 years old.
- Examine lighting. DOE says lighting is about 10% of your electric bill.
- Review appliances and electronics.
- Write a whole-house plan that ranks upgrades by energy loss, cost and budget.
If the units on your bill confuse you, see our guide to kW vs kWh.
When to hire a professional
Hire a professional when you plan to spend real money on upgrades, when rooms are uncomfortable for no clear reason, or when you have fuel-burning appliances and intend to air seal. Expect to pay $212 to $698 for most homes (2026, Angi and HomeAdvisor), or far less through a utility program.
Home energy audit near me: how to find an auditor
DOE recommends starting with your electric or gas utility and your state or local energy or weatherization office. Two national bodies also list credentialed people. The Building Performance Institute (BPI) runs a locator tool at locate.bpi.org, and RESNET keeps a national registry of certified HERS raters.
Home energy audit certification
BPI’s audit credentials include Building Analyst Technician and Building Analyst Professional. RESNET certifies Home Energy Raters, who produce a HERS Index score. On that scale a typical home built to 2006 standards scores 100, a score of 70 means 30% more efficient, and 130 means 30% less efficient.
What to ask an auditor
- Which certification do you hold, and can I verify it on the BPI or RESNET site?
- Do you use a calibrated blower door and an infrared camera?
- Will the written report rank fixes by estimated cost and annual savings?
- Do you sell the upgrades, and may I get other quotes?
- Can you provide a DOE Home Energy Score report?
What happens after the audit
Work through the report in order of return, which usually means cheap envelope fixes before expensive equipment.
- Safety first. Fix gas leaks, venting or backdrafting problems before anything else.
- Air sealing. Low cost, and it makes every later step work better.
- Insulation, starting with the attic. See our guide to eco-friendly insulation for material choices.
- Duct sealing where ducts run through unheated spaces.
- Heating, cooling and water heating equipment. A tighter house may need a smaller unit, so size it after steps 2 to 4.
- Windows, roofing and solar last. If a reroof is due, read about eco-friendly roofing, and run the solar savings calculator only after cutting demand.
You can convert the kWh you save into emissions with the kWh to CO₂ calculator.
Is there a tax credit for a home energy audit in 2026?
Not for audits paid for in 2026. The federal section 25C credit covered an audit up to $150, but the 2025 tax law ended it. The IRS states the credit “will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025,” and its Form 5695 instructions say the credit cannot be claimed for expenditures after that date.
If you paid for an audit in 2025, you can still claim it on your 2025 return. It must have been done by a qualified home energy auditor, with a signed written report. Check IRS.gov before filing, and look at state and utility rebates, which the federal change did not remove.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a free home energy audit?
Often, yes. Mass Save in Massachusetts and NYSERDA in New York offer no-cost assessments for one- to four-unit homes, and other utilities charge $40 to $100. Ask your utility first.
How long does a home energy audit take?
HomeAdvisor puts a standard audit at three to four hours. NYSERDA says its assessments take half an hour to three hours.
What is a blower door test?
A fan mounted in an exterior doorway pulls air out of the house so the auditor can measure how airtight it is and find leaks. It costs $100 to $350 if priced on its own (2026).
Can I do a home energy audit myself?
Yes. DOE publishes a DIY checklist covering air leaks, insulation, equipment, lighting and appliances. It cannot measure leakage or test combustion safety.
Sources
- Angi: What Does a Home Energy Audit Cost? (2026)
- HomeAdvisor: Home Energy Assessment Cost (updated June 2026)
- US Department of Energy: Professional Home Energy Assessments
- US Department of Energy: Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments
- EIA: Average Monthly Bill, Residential (2024)
- IRS: Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit
- ENERGY STAR: Methodology for Estimated Energy Savings from Sealing and Insulating
About the author
Georgi Todorov is an eco activist and entrepreneur. He runs Ecoki, where he builds free tools and guides that help small businesses measure and cut their carbon footprint.