Q: How does the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® Program work?
A: The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program is much more comprehensive than the energy audits your utility company may have offered in the past.

• You choose which one of our consultants you would like to have perform an energy assessment or rating on your home.
• The consultant will perform a series of tests and make recommendations based on those tests.
• It's up to you to decide if you would like to follow through with the recommendations or not. The consultants are professionals who have been trained by us to perform the tests - and they agree to uphold our standards - but they run their own businesses, which means that they set their own fees. We recommend that you call more than one consultant to compare prices.

Q: What is the difference between a participating consultant and a qualified contractor?
A: A participating consultant performs a full energy evaluation of your home that includes performance testing your ventilation and mechanical systems, building tightness and insulation levels. A detailed, written report outlining suggested changes to improve the energy efficiency of your home helps you determine your next steps. We will even suggest participating contractors that do the work to our standards. After the work is complete, the consultant will return and provide independent verification that the work was done correctly so you can start saving energy and money.

A qualified contractor may also perform a full energy evaluation with performance testing. They do all or some of the necessary work that you want done, but do not provide an written evaluation report or have their work verified by an independent consultant. We have trained them in our installation practices and standards to provide you with the best possible service.

Q: What are the benefits to having an energy evaluation?
A: There are many benefits to having an evaluation.  Having an evaluation and completing the suggested improvements will help determine your home's:

• Comfort, with appropriate levels of insulation and air sealing that eliminate drafts and give you more control over indoor air quality and temperature
• Safety, by identifying and eliminating potentially dangerous carbon monoxide levels due to inadequate venting of your heating system and water heater
• Durability, by preventing warm, moist air from inside the home, as well as rain and external moisture, from entering walls and attic spaces and causing structural damage
• Energy efficiency, by reducing monthly space heating and cooling costs

Plus, when you use the services of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, you get the added benefit of knowing you're helping preserve Wisconsin's environment. Less energy used means fewer environmental effects on our air, waterand land.

Q: Am I eligible for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR if I have electric baseboard heating?
A: Yes, if your electric utility participates in Focus on Energy and you use electric baseboard heating for over 60% of your home's heating needs, you are eligible for all services and Cash-Back Rewards the program offers. If your electric utility participates in Focus on Energy and you use electric baseboard heating for less than 60% of your home's heating needs, you are eligible for electric saving Cash-Back Rewards that are offered.

Q: What do I need to know before I shop for a new furnace?
A: We recommend that you:

• Look for a furnace that has an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 90% or higher.
• Get a furnace with a "smart motor" so that the electrical portion of the furnace is also efficient.
• Make sure that the heating contractor does a heat loss analysis so that your new furnace is the right size. Since most of the older, installed furnaces are too big for the homes they are heating, the size of a new furnace should not be based on the size of the old furnace.
• As with all large purchases, shop around for price and determine what services are provided after the furnace is installed.
• Keep in mind that a drafty and under-insulated home may still contribute to high heating bills even if the furnace is new.

Q: Are there any Cash-Back Rewards on windows?
A: We do not have any rewards on windows at this time.

Q: What kind of water heater should I buy?
A: We recommend:

• A water heater that does not use electricity as its source of energy.
• A water heater with an Energy Factor (EF) of .64 or higher.
• Power-vented water heaters are safer than atmospherically vented water heaters.

Q: Why is my electric bill so high?
A: If your electric bill seems high, it may be that you have one or more electrical appliances that need to be replaced. You can check out a watt meter (or portable energy meter) from your local library. With a watt meter, you can measure the amount of electricity that an appliance (for example, your refrigerator) is using. If your library does not have a watt meter at that location, they can get one through an inter-library loan.