The Rise of the Virtual Home Energy Audit

In April, EFI was a proud Silver Sponsor of the 41^st PLMA Conference. Originally scheduled to take place in Scottsdale, Arizona, the event moved into a virtual format for the first time ever in order to keep attendees and presenters safe. EFI was pleased to take part in the Sponsor Showcase presentation and our presenter, Tiffany McCann, was thrilled to report on the success of a new program created to help with challenges brought on by current travel restrictions.

One of the most valuable facets of the EFI mission is our energy-saving kits program. While this program always serves as a fantastic way to get energy-efficient products into homes, most recently it became the critical missing puzzle piece to the redesigned in-home energy audit programs many of our partners offer to their customers.

Typically an auditor enters the customer’s home to evaluate their energy efficiency levels, providing feedback and valuable discussion as to what can be updated in real-time. However, recent restrictions due to COVID-19 have made the usual in-home audit process impossible to utilize.

So where does that leave these kinds of programs? Are they to become suspended indefinitely until all bans are lifted? How can utilities keep their customers engaged and ensure their programs move forward? Enter EFI.

Together, along with our utility partners, EFI has helped these in-person audits become virtual! During these virtual audits, the homeowner is walked through the areas in their home that could be improved over the phone. The auditor then makes recommendations for a customized kit to improve their energy savings, of which they then ship out to the homeowner after the audit concludes.

Within the first month of the rollout, there have been:

Because EFI stores energy efficiency products in-house, we were able to turn around this new home audit program in under 2 weeks’ time in order to help the Virtual Home Energy Audits be successful. After an audit is completed, the customized order is placed with us. Our team receives the order, packs the kit to suit the homeowners’ specific needs, and sends it on its way so that the customer can install their new product and begin saving as soon as possible.

We are proud to support our clients in their innovative efforts to help their utility customers become more energy-efficient, especially during times that challenge the norm!