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Re-activate Remember when "keeping up with the Joneses" meant driving a bigger car? Now it's all about being virtuous, including consuming less energy. That last point was underscored today when the U.S. Energy Department launched the Home Energy Score Program. Under the program, trained contractors walk through your home using a standardized assessment tool to score its efficiency on a scale of 1 to 10 (see image). The pros will also indicate how your home compares with others in the area, and suggest smart energy upgrades, say adding insulation or replacing an inefficient heating system.
"This program has great potential to provide consumers simple, standardized information about the energy consumption of our homes and how we can make cost-effective improvements," says Shannon Baker-Branstetter, policy counsel for Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports. "Our hope is that consumers can save some money while they use less energy. This could really help take same of the guesswork out of making energy-efficient upgrades to our homes."
Home Energy Score will run as a pilot program in ten areas throughout the U.S. until late spring 2011. Included in the pilot program are regions of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Colorado, Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas (find out how to participate). Based on the feedback from consumers, the Energy Department hopes to then take the Home Energy Score nationwide.
For advice on cutting your energy costs, read our special section on Ways to slash your energy bills. You can also learn about utility bills that compare consumers' monthly energy usage.
—Daniel DiClerico
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