Energy Audit House Parties – The Way Forward for Home Performance?
On Saturday March 9th, I was lucky enough to be invited by the Portage Trail chapter of the Sierra Club to present to some of their members about Home Performance.
The homeowner jokingly called it an Energy Audit party, and I think he’s really on to something. More on that in a minute.
It was held at the home of two members shortly after they had a low-cost (but not low-quality) energy audit from Dominion East Ohio and Good Cents. Vince DePaul of Good Cents was kind enough to invite me to speak.
The Sierra Club is a group that focuses on environmental conservation. Most Sierra Club initiatives focus on promoting awareness about the ecological effects of fracking, oil pipelines, the erosion of wildlife habitats, and the like. However; the Sierra Club is now moving to see what it can do to promote energy conservation as well. The Portage Trail chapter is trying this new program out with that aim in mind.
If you’ve followed my blog long, you know I geek out on this stuff, so the chance to talk to a bunch of people who know little about Home Performance but are open to the concept was, well, extremely enticing.
This was the first time Vince and I have done anything like this, so we winged it a little, here’s basically what happened:
1. Food, glorious food!
I wouldn’t want to talk to cranky people on empty stomachs, so we dined on fruit and bagels. This could easily be done in the evening as well, perhaps with something stronger? (Quasi-evil laugh.)
2. Home Performance Presentation
Yes, insulation, air sealing, furnaces and air conditioners are all important. They all have one thing in common – they are just tools. Tools are useful but not for understanding why you do something. Next I gave my Prezi (it’s like Power Point on sexy steroids) on Home Performance. We just pulled a picture off the wall and projected right on it.
My Prezi covers the 4 Tenets of Home Performance in a fun and informative way. The presentation covers the theory and other benefits that come along with an energy efficient home. It’s definitely NOT all about the money, or even saving the earth.
I fielded a ton of questions in the process. Vince covered what the energy audits were and the process involved. We also discussed energy efficiency policy in general a bit.
Here’s a picture towards the end of the presentation:
3. Home Walkthrough
Next, we headed for the basement. Why? To learn about the improvements that can be made down there by actually pointing them out and showing how to fix them and why. Many of those projects are great DIY projects, but the rebates also cover a lot of them.
We also touched on wall and attic insulation. This part was all about the practical, where the presentation was about the theory. I LOVE mixing the 2 sides into one session, both are very important.
4. Door Prizes & Final Questions
Lastly, one of the members had brought along a number of small energy efficiency items like CFL and LED light bulbs, pipe wrap, a programmable thermostat, a water heater wrap, foam seals for outlets, Great Stuff foam, and a few other things. We talked about them as they were given away. This was a really cool way to educate about the items and let people try them out.
The party broke up at this point and Vince and I tackled any last questions that anyone had. I finished the walkthrough of the home with the homeowner so I could give a quote on the suggested upgrades.
This Is the Future of Home Performance! Or At Least Part of It
I walked out pretty much giddy, I was so excited. Everyone had a good time, even my wife who was kind enough to tag along even though she knows most of this stuff. I had lots of positive feedback from everyone there.
The programs across the country that have been the most successful in transforming entire neighborhoods and communities have started like this in someone’s living room.
There are a few keys to this process that I learned, and I’m sure there are more:
1. No sales pitch – this is absolutely informational, and essential.
Yes, everyone there knew that Vince was from a company that performs energy audits, and I own a home performance contracting company, but we were not there to sell. This lets people feel much more free to ask questions and learn, rather than worry about being pressured.
2. Organizational support.
Without the Sierra Club and Vince of Good Cents putting this together for interested people, it never would have happened. It doesn’t have to be the Sierra Club, it could be any organization like a homeowners association, a public library, a close-knit group of friends, or any other group.
3. Theory and practice.
Talking in platitudes or just training how to do specific tasks is not enough on its own. A little of both are needed. The whole party only took 2 hours, but lots of information was conveyed and fun was had.
4. Fun. (Isn’t that a band or something?)
OK, I’m going to admit it. I’m a straight guy and I’ve been, by myself, to a Pampered Chef party (I’m sure it was the free food…) You know what? I had a blast, and I still have some of those gadgets. There was lots of information, but it was presented in a fun way. No boring lectures. At an Energy Audit Party, even the guys can enjoy it, so everyone gets to come. (Sorry, ladies, stamping parties just don’t do it for me.)
5. It was at an actual house. That had just had an energy audit.
This is probably negotiable, but boy was it powerful to actually show what needed to get fixed right there on the spot. It was also powerful that the audit was completed just a few days before and I had the report to look through and translate on the spot.
Vince and I agreed that this is a wonderful way to get the word out about Home Performance. Frankly, HP is a little like eating your vegetables. You can’t advertise to get people to eat veggies, they have to be taught about why they are good and then how to prepare them so they actually taste good.
Broccoli growers could spend billions advertising, but Hostess (God rest its soul), can spend substantially less and sell substantially more because its products taste awesome while they slowly clog your arteries.
I think we could advertise Home Performance until the cows come home, and get nowhere. It will take out of the box thinking like this to pull it off!
Here’s to grassroots education!
So are you a conservationist? Or just curious about HP? Would you like to do this in your home? If you live in Northeast Ohio, reach out to me at 330-524-6495 and we’ll set it up.
If you don’t live nearby, borrow my Prezi and set one up yourself with a local energy auditor and/or HP contractor! Here is an introduction to Home Performance to get you started.
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