Article courtesy of Boulder County Business Report’s Beth Potter:

April 29, 2011 –
SUPERIOR — Pharmaceutical consultant Prafal Shah was keenly aware of a draft that came through the window next to his desk in his home office.

So when Shah met a worker at Boulder-based EcoSmart Homes by chance, he decided to have an energy audit done.

EcoSmart and several other companies in Boulder County do such energy audits by using infrared cameras to take pictures inside and outside houses to show where heat is escaping. Electricity and gas provider Xcel Energy also does audits.

Based on the audit information, companies offer homeowners a variety of “energy retrofit” projects and upgrades — many of which can be subsidized by government tax credits.

So, how did Shah and his wife fare with the various programs and rebates?

After spending $3,000 on labor and materials for projects suggested during the audit, Shah got a $450 tax credit from the federal government for making the energy-efficiency improvements.

His energy bill decreased by 15 percent during the first three months of 2011 compared to the first three months of 2010. From January to March, Shah said he paid $632 for his Xcel Energy bill, compared to $741 for the same period of 2010.

While the outside temperature may have been warmer this year during those months, Shah said he is happy that the work he had done seems to be saving him money every month, and his house is warmer in the winter.

“The main thing is the comfort — the house feels warm all the time,” Shah said. “Before the energy improvements in August 2010, we kept half the rooms and heat vents closed in the house, which we thought saved energy.”