Free Home Energy Audit | Greater Portland, Maine
Start with a free walkthrough. Get a clear plan. Save up to $8,000 with Efficiency Maine rebates.
Most Maine contractors charge $300 to $500 for a traditional home energy audit. We do something different: a free energy assessment from a certified advisor, with no diagnostic equipment at the sales stage and no obligation. You get a thorough walkthrough, a prioritized improvement plan, and real pricing with rebates already deducted. If you move forward, blower door testing and thermal imaging happen as part of the work itself, not as a separate billable step.
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When people search for a home energy audit in Maine, they are usually looking for a professional to tell them why their heating bills are high, why their house is uncomfortable, or what improvements would qualify for rebates. A traditional energy audit answers those questions using diagnostic equipment and a written report.
A typical Maine energy audit includes:
Traditional audits are performed by BPI-certified Energy Advisors registered through Efficiency Maine's Home Energy Savings Program (HESP). Expect to pay $300 to $500 for a standalone audit, though Efficiency Maine rebates up to $400 of that cost, bringing your out-of-pocket down to around $100.
Most Maine homeowners who call us are not actually looking for a report. They are looking for a plan. Here is how we handle that differently.
We think the best first step for most Maine homeowners is not a formal audit. It is a conversation with an experienced advisor who can walk through the house with you, identify the biggest problems by sight, and leave you with a prioritized plan and real pricing. That is what our free home energy assessment delivers.
Here is how it compares to a traditional home energy audit side by side.
| Typical Energy Audit | Horizon Homes Energy Assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $300 to $500 | Free |
| Duration | 2 to 3 hours | About 1 hour |
| Equipment | Blower door, thermal camera, combustion analyzer | Visual walkthrough and your story |
| Output | Written report with recommendations | Prioritized plan with real pricing and rebates deducted |
| Sales pressure | Varies by contractor | None. Phased work is fine. |
| Next step | You get a report, then hire someone | We can start work when you are ready |
We use blower door testing and thermal imaging as quality assurance during the work itself, not as a sales tool at the start. That way the testing catches real problems while we can still fix them, and you are not paying for a diagnostic visit weeks before the crew shows up.
Our energy advisor walks through the main parts of your home and documents what matters. Here is what gets looked at and why.
Attic R-value, wall cavity condition, basement rim joists and foundation walls. Most pre-2000 Maine homes have R-11 to R-19 in the attic when code calls for R-49.
Attic bypasses, electrical penetrations, rim joist gaps, recessed lighting, plumbing chases. We show you where your heat is escaping.
Oil, propane, natural gas, or electric system age and efficiency. Whether replacement, heat pump conversion, or a hybrid approach makes sense for your home. See our guide to Maine energy efficient heating options for a full comparison.
Basement humidity, ice dam history, bath fan venting, combustion air supply. Moisture issues get addressed before insulation, not after.
Air leakage at frames is usually a stack effect symptom, not a window problem. Most homeowners who think they need new windows actually need air sealing.
We calculate your exact Efficiency Maine rebate eligibility and show you the net cost of every improvement after incentives.
Four steps from phone call to prioritized plan. No surprises.
Call or book online. We confirm within one business day. Most assessments happen within 1 to 2 weeks of your request.
Your energy advisor spends 10 to 15 minutes understanding what is bothering you about your home. Comfort? Bills? Both? Specific rooms? This informs the whole walkthrough.
We go through the attic, basement, mechanical room, and main living areas. About 45 minutes for a typical home. You come with us and your advisor explains what they see as you go.
A line-item estimate with rebates already deducted. You leave knowing exactly what to fix, what it costs, and what comes first. Phase the work however makes sense for your budget.
Efficiency Maine is our partner, not our competitor. We are a registered vendor and an Efficiency Maine Top Contractor for 10+ years. When we scope your project, the rebates are built into the estimate so you see your actual out-of-pocket cost, not a gross price with vague "rebates available" language.
How our rebate handling works: we deduct rebates from your invoice upfront. No waiting 4 to 6 weeks for reimbursement from the state. No rebate paperwork for you to fill out. No "submit this form and hope" dynamic. The price on your estimate is the price you pay.
Note: the federal Section 25C tax credit for home energy audits (up to $150) expired December 31, 2025. It is not available for 2026 work. Our free assessment replaces what that credit used to subsidize, at a lower cost to you.
See our full Efficiency Maine rebates guide for eligibility details, stacking rules, and how to claim each one.
Mike and Jess bought a 1940s Cape in Portland's Woodfords Corner and called us because their living room felt ten degrees colder than the kitchen and their oil bill had hit $3,800 a year. They thought the problem was the windows.
The assessment identified three problems they could not see: an R-11 attic where R-49 should have been, unsealed bypasses at the plumbing stack and chimney chase, and completely uninsulated rim joists. None of those were window issues. All of them were fixable.
Two days of work later, after attic air sealing, R-49 cellulose, and rim joist insulation:
"I expected the upstairs to feel warmer because that is where the insulation went," Mike told us. "But the living room is where we noticed the biggest difference. The house stopped pulling cold air in from the basement."
Read the full case study on Mike and Jess's 1940s Portland Cape.
4.9 stars across 200+ Google reviews.
"All work was performed in a timely and detailed manner. There was a HUGE attention to detail. All company associates were highly professional, extremely courteous, and demonstrated passion and compassion. I highly recommend."
"The process was pleasant from start to finish. When cleanup was complete, it was like no one had ever been there. Working through the rebate paperwork was some of the easiest interactions I've had. I cannot recommend Horizon Homes enough."
"An Efficiency Maine inspector said 'Oh yeah, Horizon, their work is always great.' I'm a first-time homeowner who relies heavily on online reviews, let me add to the five-star pile. Horizon Homes was the right decision for us."
Everything Maine homeowners ask us about home energy audits, assessments, rebates, and what to expect.
Most Maine contractors charge $300 to $500 for a traditional home energy audit with blower door testing and a written report. Efficiency Maine rebates up to $400 of that cost, leaving about $100 out of pocket. Horizon Homes offers a free home energy assessment instead, no diagnostic equipment, no cost, no obligation. Just a thorough walkthrough and a clear plan for your home.
A traditional energy audit uses diagnostic equipment like a blower door and thermal camera to measure airtightness, then delivers a written report. An energy assessment is a visual walkthrough focused on actionable recommendations. Our free assessment gives you a prioritized plan with real pricing and rebates already deducted, not a report you have to act on separately.
We use both, and they matter. The difference is when. Our experienced advisors can identify the biggest problems in your home visually in about an hour. Blower door testing and thermal imaging happen as part of the actual work, not as a separate sales step. We run a blower door test at the start of the job to get a baseline, use thermal imaging to target specific leaks as we seal them, then run the blower door test again at the end to verify the improvement. You get the benefit of the testing where it actually counts.
No. Efficiency Maine does not require a formal audit before insulation, air sealing, or heat pump rebate work. You can schedule a free assessment with a registered vendor like Horizon Homes and go straight to an estimate. We are an Efficiency Maine Top Contractor for 10+ years and we handle the rebate paperwork and deduct the rebate from your invoice upfront.
About one hour for a typical Maine home. That includes a 10 to 15 minute conversation about your comfort and energy concerns, a 30 to 45 minute walkthrough of your attic, basement, mechanical room, and main living areas, and a brief wrap up to review findings and discuss next steps.
Clear access to your attic hatch, basement, and mechanical room. Have a recent heating bill or fuel delivery receipt handy if you can find one. Make a mental list of comfort complaints: cold rooms, drafts, moisture problems, ice dams. That is it. No special preparation needed.
Greater Portland and surrounding towns, including Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook, Gorham, Windham, Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Yarmouth, Freeport, Brunswick, Saco, Biddeford, and Kennebunk.
None. Some homeowners book work the same week. Others phase improvements over months or years as budget allows. Others never call us back. All of that is fine. We are here when you are ready, and many of our customers have been working through their improvement list for 10 years or more.
Most comprehensive weatherization projects reduce heating and cooling costs by 20 to 40 percent. A typical older Maine home going from R-11 to R-49 attic insulation with air sealing saves $1,000 to $1,700 per year on oil or propane, depending on starting condition and current fuel prices.
For most projects, 2 to 6 weeks depending on season and scope. Winter and early spring fill up fast. Summer and fall offer more flexibility. We give you a realistic timeline during the assessment so you can plan around it.
Greater Portland and surrounding towns. Most assessments scheduled within 1 to 2 weeks.
Efficiency Maine Top Contractor for 10+ years. BPI certified. Mitsubishi Diamond contractor. 4.9 stars across 200+ Google reviews.
