Home Energy & Waste Assessment

Description

Most households know their heating bill is too high or their trash can fills up too fast, but not where to start. The Home Energy & Waste Assessment is a practical, unhurried walkthrough of your home with a Sustainable Fox Valley assessor who looks at how your house uses energy and how your household handles materials, then helps you decide what to tackle first.

This is an educational assessment, designed to help you understand your home and make good decisions. It is not a certified energy audit and does not include diagnostic testing such as a blower door test or infrared scan. If your plan points toward major upgrades, we will explain how to find a participating contractor through Focus on Energy for testing and quotes.

Who it is for

• Homeowners and renters in the Fox Cities who want lower bills and a more comfortable home through Wisconsin winters.
• New owners of older homes who want a clear picture before spending money on upgrades.
• Households preparing for the Fox Cities Unplugged Energy Challenge who want a head start.
• Anyone trying to reduce household waste, from food scraps to packaging, and unsure which habits make the biggest difference.

What is included

• A pre-visit questionnaire about your home, heating and cooling system, appliances and household routines.
• A review of up to 12 months of your gas and electric bills to establish a baseline and spot seasonal patterns.
• A walkthrough of about 90 minutes covering the attic access, basement and rim joists, windows and doors, heating and cooling equipment, water heater, lighting, major appliances and electronics.
• A look at your waste and recycling setup: kitchen, trash and recycling bins, composting options and common sources of household waste.
• A written action plan delivered by email within 5 business days.
• One follow-up email exchange within 30 days to answer questions about your plan.

How it works

1. Book and pay online. Add the assessment to your cart and check out.
2. We email you to schedule. Within 2 business days we will contact you to choose an in-person visit or a video call and send the short pre-visit questionnaire.
3. Gather your bills. Download or photograph recent utility bills, or give us read access to your usage history if your utility offers it.
4. Walk through together. In person, the assessor walks the house with you. On video, you carry a phone or tablet and we guide you room by room. Either way, you are part of the conversation and can ask questions as we go.
5. Receive your plan. Your written action plan arrives by email, ranked from no-cost habits to bigger projects.

What you get afterwards

Your action plan is organized into three tiers: free changes such as thermostat schedules, water heater settings and laundry habits; low-cost fixes such as weatherstripping, door sweeps, LED bulbs and smart power strips; and larger upgrades worth pricing out, such as attic air sealing and insulation or equipment replacement. For each item we explain why it matters for your home, roughly how difficult it is and where to learn more.

The plan also includes a short waste section with practical steps tailored to your household, such as setting up a backyard or indoor composting system, reducing food waste and checking local recycling rules. Where relevant, we point you to free guides on this site, such as home energy efficiency for Wisconsin winters and zero-waste habits at home.

Scheduling and service area

In-person assessments are available in the Fox Cities area. Video assessments are available anywhere with a reliable internet connection. After purchase, we email you within 2 business days to schedule a time that works for you, including some evenings and weekends. If you need to reschedule, just reply to our email. See our refund policy for cancellation terms.

Specifications

Purchases help fund the free guides and study circle materials we publish for the whole community.