Video Check-ups for Home Improvement and Resilience

The briefing explores the emergence of 'vid-checks'—live video-call interfaces used to conduct home assessments for energy, air quality, and resilience. It details the process of these virtual visits, the benefits for both residents (such as lower costs and increased agency) and providers (such as reduced travel costs and safety), and the limitations of the approach, including accessibility for people with mobility disabilities and technical connectivity issues. The text highlights early adopters like Energy New England, Abode Energy, and CLEAResult as examples of industry innovation in response to pandemic lockdowns.

• Video assessments, or 'vid-checks', allow consultants to guide residents through a walk-through of their home to identify needs and suggest solutions, though they lack the precision of diagnostic tools like thermal imaging or blower-doors.
• For residents, virtual assessments offer increased convenience, lower costs, and greater privacy, while also increasing resident agency and education by making them active participants in the process.
• Service providers benefit from vid-checks through the elimination of travel time and costs, reduced risks for employees, and the ability to maintain business operations and staff during pandemic restrictions.
• Several companies have already implemented these services: Energy New England pivoted to serve municipal utilities; Abode Energy utilized pre-existing data solutions to enhance consultations; and CLEAResult is piloting high-tech features such as remote laser pointers and object recognition.
• The primary limitations of video assessments include technical issues like bandwidth and sound quality, the inability of residents with mobility disabilities to access certain areas of the home, and a potentially lower success rate in closing sales compared to in-person visits.

APA

RMI (2020). Video Check-ups for Home Improvement and Resilience. https://rmi.org/resources/video-check-ups-for-home-improvement-and-resilience/

Chicago

RMI. Video Check-ups for Home Improvement and Resilience. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/video-check-ups-for-home-improvement-and-resilience/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Video Check-ups for Home Improvement and Resilience |date=1 May 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/video-check-ups-for-home-improvement-and-resilience/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2020video, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Video Check-ups for Home Improvement and Resilience}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/video-check-ups-for-home-improvement-and-resilience/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }