Dear House: This Isn’t Working. It’s Not Me, It’s You.

By: Dana Bartolomei, Housing & Energy Efficiency Policy Associate

Do you ever look at your utility bills and wonder how they could be so high? You do everything you have been taught to save energy: turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, turn off the lights when you’re not in the room, adjust the thermostat when you leave the house...The energy burden (total energy utility spending divided by gross income) can have real consequences for our wallets. While behavior and income level play a role in the energy burden, they don’t tell the whole story. It may not be you, it may be your house.

A recent study by Energy Efficiency for All and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) showed that energy efficiency can play a critical role in alleviating high energy burden. The study finds that low-income households spend more per square foot on energy than those with higher incomes, likely a result of older, less efficient housing. Importantly, the study finds that 97% of this excess energy burden can be eliminated by making homes more energy-efficient. If you live in an older home this may mean you can alleviate your energy burden by investing in (or asking your landlord to invest in) energy-efficient upgrades.

The good news is utilities offer a range of energy efficiency programs to help customers reduce their energy consumption and lower their bills. For example, Pepco offers discounts for purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances and lighting, or upgrading to energy-efficient HVAC equipment. Pepco will even pay to come pick up your old refrigerator or freezer. This is an easy to way to earn a rebate, save monthly on your utility bill, and avoid back pain.

Many utilities also offer a more comprehensive approach through a home audit. Pepco and BGE offer a free Quick Home Energy Check-up to assess your home’s energy use. Under this program, a trained Energy Analyst assesses your home’s heating and cooling systems, lighting, and appliances and identifies opportunities to save energy and money. Just for participating, Pepco or BGE will install a few no-cost energy efficiency measures. You’ll also receive a report that identifies other recommended improvements for deeper savings.

In fact, NHT-Enterprise participated in BGE’s Quick Home Energy Check-Up program to perform energy audits in all 111 units at Vintage Gardens in Baltimore. As a result, LED lighting, faucet aerators, pipe insulation and low-flow shower heads were installed, saving residents between $20 and $60 a month. Property wide that’s more than $26,000 per year.

Energy Efficiency for All has secured $230 million in funding for efficiency programs that serve multifamily affordable housing. We work closely with public utility commissions, utilities, energy efficiency, and affordable housing stakeholders in our 12 target states to develop strategies that meet the unique needs of multifamily affordable housing. The result is lifting the high-energy burden low-income families face and creating healthier, more comfortable homes.

We’ll keep talking to utilities and encouraging them to create and improve options for customers to invest in energy efficiency. You can get online or call your utilities to see what can be done in your home! To find what’s available in your community, visit DSIRE, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, or visit your utilities’ websites.