“I got TWO smiley faces!”
“What?! I only got one!”
Have you had a conversation like this yet? This is what I overheard in my office recently as two of my colleagues tried to decipher what their new Pepco Energy Reports meant.
These reports are offered to you at no additional cost by your utility company (in this case, Pepco). The basis for these reports is that while a lot of us are doing our part to save energy, we also assume we’re doing more than the household next door. The Home Energy Reports helps us get a better idea of what a home like ours might consume and how we compare to others.
A sample Home Energy Report
Based on your home features (from public records), location, and energy use, you could find one of three outcomes:
The short answer is yes. These reports are based off of a large set of utility data, public information about your home, and analysis to normalize across your geographic community. Behind these comparisons there are real numbers. For more about the comparison, check out Pepco’s Frequently Asked Questions.
That extra fridge in the garage could be impacting your score.
Some factors may slightly impact your score:
If your home has an outlying factor, that could cause some shifts in the report. However, the impact of any given factor is likely to be minimal. Even if you think you have an overriding factor, it’s still important to check and see where you might be using more energy than you need.
If you’re interested in making improvements, start with the suggestions on the back of your score. These tips are meant to provide cost-effective ways to reduce your energy costs, and they will often point to a utility incentive to help buy down the initial cost. With this information in hand, here are some things to try:
Guest blog by Michelle Vigen, Senior Energy Planner, DEP
The household comparisons using 2,798 square feet on my Home Energy Report from Pepco are skewed and thus results in unconvincing conclusions on energy use. This house is at least 3,100 square feet of conditioned space and should be compared with similar size homes.
Pepco needs to do a better job of accurately gathering data before sending what appears to be misleading advertising to promote energy saving products and promotions.