Efficiency FAQs
- I just invested in an energy efficient appliance or weatherization, why hasn’t my comparison improved?
- Are there inexpensive ways that I can improve the energy efficiency of my home?
- How can my efficient neighbors manage to use so much less energy than me?
- Why does it look like I'm doing so much worse in my personal comparison this season?
- How is my Energy Index calculated?
- Where can I learn more about energy efficiency?
I just invested in an energy efficient appliance or weatherization, so why hasn’t my neighbor comparison improved?
If you just made improvements to your home or upgrades to your appliances, it may take a few billing cycles before you are able to see the improvement in your energy usage trends. If you aren’t seeing improvement after several months, consider a home audit. An auditor can make sure that you are getting the most out of your new investments, and that everything was installed properly.
Are there inexpensive ways that I can improve the energy efficiency of my home?
Absolutely. There are a wide variety of low cost and no cost actions that you can take to save energy and money in your home. You can view all of our tips, including a whole category of free actions, in the Ways to Save section of our customer Oracle Utilities Opower web portal.
How can my efficient neighbors manage to use so much less energy than me?
Efficient households likely take a variety of steps to reduce their energy use, including using the thermostat to manage heating and cooling costs, turning off lights and electronics when not in use, and always running full loads in the dishwasher, washer, and dryer. The Home Energy Reports and Oracle Utilities Opower web portal provide steps that you can take to help you make your home more efficient.
Why does it look like I'm doing so much worse this year in my personal comparison?
There are many factors that affect your personal comparison including the unusual length and temperature ranges of winter or summer. However, temperature is not the only factor to use when looking at your personal comparison. Just like there are many factors that affect your personal comparison, there are many things you can do to save energy and money.
How is my Energy Index calculated?
The Energy Index used in dual fuel reports is a price-weighted index. Because electricity is usually more expensive per unit of energy than natural gas, the price is adjusted before combining them into one unit. This keeps the proportional contributions to the overall combined unit roughly in line with your bills. The calculation uses residential electricity and gas sales numbers to arrive at the price-weighted index.
Where can I learn more about energy efficiency?
You can view more energy efficiency tips on the Oracle Utilities Opower web portal. There are a variety of energy efficiency tips you can browse and add to an energy-savings plan. Also, on the web portal, you may be able to update or complete your home profile in order to get more relevant tips for your home.