If you want a more comfortable, energy-efficient home -- and lower energy bills, home performance is something you can't ignore.
Many homeowners focus on quick fixes, but real efficiency looks at how your entire home works as a system. That's where the Home Performance with Energy Star program comes in.
Before we get into what the Home Performance with Energy Star program is, we’d like to talk a little about ourselves. In June 2019, RetroFoam of Michigan became part of the Home Performance with Energy Star 2019 Century Club. This means we completed more than 100 home performance projects for homeowners throughout 2018. This means we not only understand what the program is, but we are now a part of it.
Backed by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA, this program helps homeowners understand where energy is being wasted and how upgrades actually make a difference.
• Whole-home approach: Evaluates comfort, efficiency, and health issues together.
• Certified contractors: Use data-driven testing and diagnostics.
• Energy Star Score: A national metric that shows how your home's energy use compares to similar homes.
• Common upgrades: Air sealing, insulation, ventilation, high-efficiency appliances.
• Results homeowners notice: Lower bills, fewer drafts, more consistent indoor temps.
Home Performance with Energy Star connects homeowners with trained contractors who evaluate the home's energy use and comfort levels using scientific testing, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Instead of guessing where problems are, these professionals use tools like blower door tests and diagnostic equipment to identify:
The goal? A plan of targeted improvements that address the root causes, not just the surface symptoms.
One way homeowners and professionals measure energy efficiency is through an Energy Star score.
This score exists on a 1 to 100 scale and shows how a home (or building) performs compared to similar properties nationwide.
Unlike a simple tally of utility bills, the Energy Star score uses a statistical model based on national energy use data and adjusts for things like:
This makes it a fair comparison tool that shows you where your home stands among peers.
Here's what you can expect during Home Performance testing.
A blower door test measures uncontrolled air leakage in your home.
Excess air leakage can cause:
When upgrades like air sealing or insulation are done, follow-up tests show measurable improvement.
A full evaluation looks at how different systems interact, which provides:
While Energy Star scores are more commonly associated with building benchmarking, the principle behind them applies to homeowners, too.
When your home performs better on a national comparison scale:
On average, Home Performance with Energy Star projects have helped homeowners save around $500 per year, and millions of homeowners nationwide have participated, according to Energy Star.
Based on testing, a contractor may recommend:
If you want a home that's more comfortable, healthier, and more energy efficient, Home Performance with Energy Star gives you a structured, data-backed way to get there.
Instead of guessing where problems are, this program helps you understand your home's performance and what upgrades matter most.
For more on energy efficiency, comfort, and home performance upgrades, check out our Learning Center.
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