Residential Energy Audits

Abstract

A series of events coupled with the last five years experience performing Residential Conservation Service (RCS) audits have resulted in renewed efforts by utilities to evaluate the role of residential energy audits. There are utilities where the RCS program is considered very successful; however, the majority of utilities have found that the costs far exceed the benefits. Typically, the response rates are low (less than 1% per year for Texas utilities), the audits primarily reach upper income persons, and consumers only implement the low-cost recommendations. The Texas PUC is on record as being opposed to the RCS as well as the Commercial and Apartment Conservation Service (CACS) and now requires Energy Efficiency Plans with detailed cost and savings information on utility end user programs.