To help people think about energy savings and lowering utility bills, we like to break down home energy use into five categories: Idle: costing you even when not in use Recurring: done daily at the same time Summer Cooling: cools the home down Winter Heating: warms the home up Variable: Read more…
One logo. Big impact. Have you ever seen this sky blue logo on an appliance or device? Most people know that it means something good and is probably related to energy efficiency. You’ve seen this logo on everything from dishwashers to light fixtures, housing project signs and even utility company Read more…
When we conduct in-home audits for high-usage clients, we often bring with us and set up a Rainforest monitor. This device usually only takes 15 minutes to set up, but it is invaluable for knowing what is going in your house regarding your electricity use. The way it works is Read more…
Is it possible to take a few bucks off your electricity bill, and still use as much power as you need? Southern California Edison (SCE) is a utility company that serves southern California, and SCE has created various programs for their serviced area. Residents have to apply for many of Read more…
Many of our clients have “recirc” (or recirculation) pumps in their utility rooms or basements attached to a hot water heater. Some clients have more than one recirc pump, depending on the size of their home and their needs. The purpose of a recirc pump is to keep hot water Read more…
If you need to reduce your utility bills, have you thought about first asking your utility company? Sure, you can’t call them up and just ask for a loan, but many utility companies have a lot of programs to help its customers. Some of these programs are mandated by the Read more…
In a nutshell, Demand Response (DR) is getting paid for using less electricity when others are pigging out. When everyone wants electricity at the same time, it’s called peak demand. Here is a definition from energy.gov. DR programs rewards those who respond during peak demand. That’s why it’s called “demand response.” Read more…
The smart home is coming. If it’s so smart, can it help me figure out how to cut my utility bills or manage the cost of maintaining my home? It seems like right now all these “smart speakers” do is DJ music, set reminders or entertain me when I am Read more…