Home energy audits are being offered to property owners in Sharpsburg with the goal of boosting utility efficiency and lowering heating bills.

But there’s also a chance the assessment could lead to free attic insulation or a hot water pump for qualifying residents.

“We want to find out where the cold draft is coming from, check around the windows and try to figure out how to improve things,” said Jodi Klebick, executive director of Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization.

The group has partnered with the nonprofit Energy Efficiency Empowerment to offer free professional energy assessments valued at $400.

People who earn 50% or less than the area’s median income will be prioritized, though the program is open to all.

The median household income in Sharpsburg is $44,500, according to DataUSA.

“We don’t want people to have the audit and realize they don’t have the money to fix what needs to be done,” Klebick said. “We hope to connect them with resources to help.”

Residents of Etna and Millvale also can apply.

The audits will show the energy use of a home, identify money-saving suggestions and ways to cut the carbon footprint.

The energy assessments align with the group’s mission to engage residents and potentially improve their quality of life, Klebick said.

An upcoming workshop will be scheduled at Roots of Faith along Main Street to introduce the project.

According to the Energy Efficiency Empowerment website, drafty homes can create up to a 30% energy loss.

The group conducted more than 400 audits in the Pittsburgh region from 2017 to 2020. It found that 44% of those homes had uninsulated framed walls and 24% featured brick/masonry walls without frames. The national average is 1.5%.

Average home air leakage was twice the national average, according to the group, and 13% of homes lacked attic insulation.

Data showed energy use in those aging homes was about 40% higher than in the rest of the Northeast.

Klebick said long-term sustainability hinges on initiatives like this one.

The one-hour audits can help people be eco-ready for the future, she said.

“There’s exciting riverfront development coming but we have a lot of older homes and people wanting to age in place,” Klebick said. “We want to make sure we have as much affordable housing as possible.”

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