How much does an energy audit cost?

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The lack of specificity in the scope of the service provided under the term ‘Energy Audit’, causing some confusion in the market, provides a number of totally different and hardly comparable quotations.

But there is a common point. The energy audit cost has to be related to the energy savings you can potentially achieve after implementing the energy saving measures identified in the energy audit.

Looking at an example, if your home spends 2.300€ per year on energy bills and you can achieve a saving of 30%, this mean you would save nearly 700€ per year on your home. Would you spend about 500€ for an energy audit to identify and achieve this saving?

Range of prices

Therefore it is interesting to define a minimum scope and content of the study to be performed.

For example, if we take a building of the tertiary sector, administrative use, with a schedule of 08:00-14:00 and 16:00-19:00, Monday to Friday, with an area of 2.000 m², we can look at the profiles required for the three types of energy audit defined, in order of increasing complexity of the study.

Government subsidies

In some countries, there are government subsidies to promote these energy efficiency studies.

Why do utility companies want to lower my bill when that hurts their bottom line?

There are a number of reasons.

In some countries, governments are promoting energy efficiency by using a system of Energy Saving Certificates or White Certificates. Government requires energy suppliers or distributors to demonstrate that they have been able to persuade their customers to make energy savings. A certain level of accumulated energy saving enables them to obtain a white certificate. If energy suppliers do not achieve the fixed number of white certificates, they have to pay a tax for it.  Therefore utility companies prefer to persuade their customers to make energy savings rather than pay a tax.

Moreover, generating electricity is expensive. The utility companies have to pay for every kWh you consume. Basically, when you consume less energy, the utility generates less to meet the demand, saving them money.

And lowering usage now also helps eliminate the need for more power plants. So it's good for the environment, too!

[1]TEC: 8-hour work of a technician; ING: 8-hour work of an engineer.