Arizona Energy Audit FAQ

An independent, full-diagnostic home energy audit in the Phoenix metro generally runs $250–$500, depending on home size and how many systems we test. Utility-subsidized checkups through APS or SRP can be far cheaper — often around $99 — but they're lighter in scope. We tell you up front which path fits your goals, and the federal 25C tax credit can cover up to $150 of a qualifying audit, so your net cost is often lower than the sticker price.

A full audit includes a blower-door test to measure whole-house air leakage, an infrared thermal-imaging scan of ceilings, walls, and ducts, a duct leakage test, an insulation and R-value assessment, a look at your HVAC sizing and utility rate plan, and a combustion-safety check where relevant. You receive a written report ranking every finding by cost, savings, and payback — plus the documentation you need for APS, SRP, and federal rebates.

A blower door is a calibrated fan sealed into an exterior doorway that depressurizes your home so we can measure exactly how much air leaks through the envelope, reported as ACH50 (air changes per hour at 50 pascals). In Arizona, every cubic foot of leakage pulls 110°F outdoor air — and monsoon dust — into your home, and lets your cooled air escape. The test turns a vague 'my house feels drafty' into a hard number you can improve and verify.

APS runs energy-efficiency programs that pair a professional assessment with rebates on measures like duct sealing, insulation, and air sealing, historically through its Home Performance pathway, plus a rebate marketplace for equipment. Program details and dollar amounts change year to year, so we confirm the current APS offers for your address as part of the audit and document your work to qualify. We'll always point you to aps.com to verify the live numbers.

A new air conditioner cools efficiently, but it can't fix a leaky envelope or leaky ducts — if 25% of your cooled air escapes into the attic, an efficient system just wastes energy efficiently. High bills with new equipment almost always trace to duct leakage, thin or gapped insulation, air leaks, or an oversized unit that short-cycles. An audit separates the AC from the house, so you fix the real cause instead of buying more cooling.

Manual J is the industry calculation that sizes an air conditioner to a home's actual cooling load. Oversized units — extremely common in Arizona — cool the air fast but short-cycle, so they never run long enough to remove humidity or distribute air evenly, which wastes energy and creates hot and cold spots. We check whether your system is right-sized for your envelope, so when replacement time comes you're not paying for tonnage you don't need.