Ever wonder what it takes to keep your home energy-efficient and your bills low? Meet William, our local energy auditor, whose job is to ensure that homes and businesses are running as efficiently as possible. Let’s take a peek into a typical day in his life.
Each Friday, he schedules energy audits for the upcoming week. August and September are slower months for audits as everyone returns to school. Customers contact Conway Corp to request a free energy audit.
“We advertise the free energy audits using commercials in our programming, as well as email and social media ads. Opportunities like the HVAC tune up contest that takes place each spring also draws in customers who inquire about getting a free energy audit. They contact customer service, who creates work orders, and we go from there.”
Those orders print out directly in William’s office. From there, he reaches out to the customer, listens to their concerns and works with them to arrange an ideal time to complete the audit.
Before heading out, William checks his equipment. His toolkit includes a thermal imaging camera, blower door test equipment, a gas leak detector and various other diagnostic tools. Ensuring everything is in working order is crucial for an efficient audit.
William does his best to bring empathy and understanding to each customer’s home daily. He checks the customer’s history as well as electrical and water usage to see if either of them has increased.
“I listen to them and try to find a cause,” William said. I’m always trying to give them a peace of mind. Sometimes, they’re using more electricity than they think they are or someone in their home might have added an additional Wi-Fi package and didn’t let the person responsible for the bill know.”
Whether it’s an energy efficiency or a comfort issue for them, he tries to answer each question.
While in the home, he conducts a thorough inspection. Using tools like his thermal imaging camera, he identifies areas where heat could escape, such as poorly insulated walls and leaky windows. He takes photos and makes detailed notes for his report.
“We take care of our customers,” he said. “I take a lot of pictures and include them in the report, because sometimes these customers are not able to get up in their own attic. They might not have ever been in there so I attach pictures with each explanation, they may have a lack of insulation in a certain part of their home. I show them my findings and for example, the difference in temperature from the non-insulated part of their attic to the rest of the house using my infrared camera. I try my best to explain to them. If there’s an easy fix, I let them know. If there isn’t, I let them know. I answer any questions I can and try to explain why the situation is occurring as much as I can.”
Because William interacts directly with customers, they are comfortable asking questions about different services that Conway Corp offers. He takes pictures and sends the information to our customer service team who dispatches the appropriate servicemen to check out.
“I give them my card and assure them. Sometimes I complete an audit when only one resident is home. I don’t mind returning to the home to explain my findings further. I also take the time to plug in the energy smart loan program that we offer.”
Conway Corp offers zero percent interest loans to customers for energy-efficient home improvements like replacing old appliances and installing attic insulation. The loan program, funded by the city of Conway through the American Recovery Act of 2009, is available only to Conway Corp customers. Loans are available between $500 and $4,500 and does not have income restrictions. Applicants are required to have a free home energy audit by Conway Corp and a credit report will be executed on the behalf of the applicant to determine eligibility.
Before coming to Conway Corp, William worked in residential construction for many years and decided to step away. William began his career at Conway Corp in April 2013.
After the first audit, he uses this time to review the data collected from the first home and prepares a preliminary report. He also checks in with his office to confirm his afternoon appointments.
He tries to identify a few areas for improvement, such as sealing ductwork and upgrading to energy-efficient windows.
William takes a break for lunch and uses this time to start writing detailed reports for the morning audits. He includes recommendations for each homeowner, such as adding insulation, sealing air leaks, and upgrading appliances to more energy-efficient models. Each report is tailored to the specific needs of the home and its occupants.
The most efficient setting on the thermostat is off, he laughed. The closer the temp is to outside,
The easier it is on your heating and cooling system.
William conducts a comprehensive audit, checking everything from lighting and HVAC systems to insulation and window efficiency.
He says that even small changes can make a noticeable impact.
“Even if you don’t own the home, there are things that you can do such as making sure that you regularly replacing the air filters in your home and consider switching to LED light bulbs during your stay.”
After a busy day, William returns to the office. He finishes writing the reports for his clients and emails them, along with personalized recommendations. He also updates his schedule for the next day and reviews any new requests that have come in. William’s work as an energy auditor is crucial in helping homeowners and businesses reduce their energy consumption, save money and contribute to a greener planet. His dedication and expertise ensure that each audit is thorough and personalized, providing clients with actionable steps to improve their energy efficiency.
