Home Energy Analysis FAQs

These FAQs are related to the Home Energy Analysis survey tool, which prompts customers to answer simple questions about their home and energy habits.

What is the purpose of the Home Energy Analysis?

Our research has shown that customers who want to become more energy efficient are often held back by misconceptions about how their energy use is distributed throughout their homes. With this in mind, the Home Energy Analysis survey walks you through questions about your home and then visually displays an estimated breakdown of your energy use in different categories, such as heating, cooling, or appliances. It also displays personalized tips to help you take action. This information is meant to help you focus and save.

How do you calculate my energy use for each category?

The way we calculate the energy use for each category depends on several factors, such as how much data you have and how the feature has been configured for you.

In general, the survey calculator starts with the average percentage of energy use for a specific category, such as heating or cooling. These averages are based on how energy is used in homes throughout your utility's service territory, and is pre-populated before you start answering any questions. We derive this percentage by getting census and climate zone data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Residential Energy Consumption Survey. We then use your responses to the Home Energy Analysis to adjust that baseline and make it more personalized to you.

If we have more data about your home (such as weather data, historical bills, and data from a smart meter), then the survey calculator can generate estimates for annual as well as bill-level breakdowns of your energy use. This way you may get more accurate and specific estimates for each bill period, such as an estimate of how much money you spent in each category.

How many appliances can be included in the breakdown?

The list of available appliance categories varies slightly depending on the characteristics of your home.

Scenario Available Categories
  • You only receive electricity from your utility, or you receive both electricity and gas
  • You have a smart meter recording interval data
  • Heating
  • Cooling
  • Water Heating
  • Refrigeration
  • Oven
  • Dishwasher Use
  • Laundry
  • Electric Vehicle Charging
  • Lighting
  • Electronics
  • Pool
  • You only receive electricity from your utility, or you receive both electricity and gas
  • You have a smart meter recording interval data
  • Heating
  • Cooling
  • Water Heating
  • Lighting
  • Appliances
  • Electronics
  • Electric Vehicle
  • Pool
  • Other

  • Gas-only customer
  • Heating
  • Water Heating
  • Pool

What time period does the survey cover?

By default, the survey estimates and displays your average annual energy use in different categories. This lets you see how your energy use is distributed in your home regardless of the season of year, so you can plan and take action accordingly.

Depending on how much data you have and how the feature has been configured for your utility, you may also be able to view a breakdown of your energy use by bill period. In this case, you can usually see an estimate of how much money you spent in each category.

How can these values be more accurate?

The best way to make your breakdown more accurate is to take the Home Energy Analysis survey. Or I can look at it for you, and we can confirm that the information we have about your home is correct. I can also check your Home Profile.

Instructions for CSRs:

Action Steps
Check the customer's Home Energy Analysis survey.

  1. Sign in to the Customer Service Interface.

  2. Open the customer's web account. See Accessing a Customer's Web Portal.

  3. Once you are in the customer's web account, navigate to the Home Energy Analysis survey.

  4. Take the survey, confirm each answer with the customer, and correct any answer that contradicts what the customer doesn't have.

    For example, if the Home Energy Analysis survey indicates that the customer has a pool, but the customer says they don't have a pool, then update the survey.

  5. If there is still no resolution, then file a ticket with Oracle Utilities Opower support. See Contacting Oracle Utilities Opower Support.

Check customer's Home Profile.
  1. Sign in to the Customer Service Interface.

  2. Find and open the customer's account.

  3. In the Profile area, click Update Profile.

  4. Review and confirm each part of the profile with the customer, and correct any information that contradicts what the customer doesn't have.

    For example, if the Home Profile indicates that the customer has a pool, but the customer says they don't have a pool, then update the Home Profile.

  5. If there is still no resolution, then file a ticket with Oracle Utilities Opower support. See Contacting Oracle Utilities Opower Support .

How soon will I see changes after you or I make an update?

After changes are made to your home information, you should see changes in your next report. If you're using the Home Energy Analysis survey tool on the web, then you should see some changes after you finish the survey.

If I answered questions in the previous version of the tool, do I have to answer them again in the new one?

No. Any existing answers that are applicable to the new survey will be automatically transferred as default answers. This reduces the time and effort required to complete the survey.