Home Energy Analyzer

Small changes can substantially increase your home's energy efficiency and reduce costs—but first you must identify where those changes need to be made. Use the Home Energy Analyzer to understand, and find ways to reduce, your energy consumption. To begin your journey to increased efficiency and savings, tell us about your home. Simply adjust the "My Home" settings on the left side of the page to generate your average energy use. Your energy use and costs will be reflected in the charts below, which are based on NOAA weather data for your area. Note that NOAA weather data is delayed a few days after the end of each reported month.

Enter the account number found on your bill to analyze your actual energy usage.

Account Number:

My Home

Nearest City:

Square Ft:

Occupants:

Heating System:

Average Heating Setting:

Cooling System:

Average Cooling Setting:

Type of Home:

Features:

2nd Refrig/Freezer:

YesNo

Large Screen TV:

YesNo

Pool: YesNo

Heated By:

Spa or Hot Tub:

YesNo

Understanding the Terms

Average Energy Use
My Personal Energy Use
Ways to Save
Carbon Footprint

Compare Your Bill to the Estimated Energy Use of an Average "My Home"

Below we've calculated the typical energy use for an average home in your area with the same basic "My Home" features. Remember, this is just an estimate based on average energy use for a similar home. If your energy bill seems lower than this average, you're doing great! If your bill is higher, then let us help you identify some easy ways to save.

Estimated Energy Use - Average "My Home"
	Estimated May 2013	Estimated Monthly Average	Estimated Annual
Estimated Annual Carbon Footprint
7.4 metric tons of CO2 per year! More on Carbon Footprint...
Total Cost	$163	$198	$2380
Electric	857 kWh	874 kWh	10482 kWh
Natural Gas	25 ccf	56 ccf	675 ccf

Estimated Monthly Home Energy Costs

Electric cost based on standard rate of $.16/kWh
Natural Gas cost based on standard rate of $1.05/ccf

Weather Impacts Home Energy Use

Heating and cooling combine for the highest energy use in your home and are greatly affected by the weather.

In May 2013 you were likely to run your air conditioning 115% more than in April. Overall this will typically raise your energy bill by about 3%. A typical thermostat is set to 74°F in the summer but adjusting your thermostat just a few degrees can have a major impact on your bill. For optimal energy savings, ENERGY STAR recommends 78°F.

Looking for some ways to reduce your energy bill?

Electric Bill Analysis

Electric Energy Use: How Do I Compare?

Your electric energy use appears lower your bill.

What else we noticed:

Your energy use seems to match a typical home of similar size.
Your energy use falls within the expected range for your type of home in your area. However, you could improve your energy performance by checking your insulation and weatherization, or perhaps even upgrading some appliances. Click here for more tips to reduce your energy use.

Annual Electric Use

Natural Gas Bill Analysis

Natural Gas Energy Use: How Do I Compare?

Your natural gas use appears

lower your bill.

What else we noticed:

reduce your energy use.

Annual Natural Gas Use

Custom Tips to Lower Your Energy Bill & Carbon Footprint

Weatherize your home.
Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air. For many homes, this is the most cost-effective means of reducing energy costs. more...
Upgrade Weatherization from Average to Very Good Weatherization
You Could SAVE $40/yr!
Improve attic insulation.
Attic insulation should be at least R-30 (10-inch thick fiberglass batts) and preferably up to R-38. Insulate and seal all attic access openings properly. more...
Upgrade Insulation from Average to Very Good Insulation You Could SAVE $124/yr!
Adjust your thermostat.
Adjusting your thermostat can reduce your heating and cooling costs 3% for each degree of adjustment. Changing the thermostat by 3 degrees could lower your heating or cooling bills by up to 10%. For months with both heating and cooling days, the calculation below is based on a constant temperature setting over the entire month. more...
Invest in a high-efficiency furnace.
A heating system-efficiency increase of 10% can have a significant impact on your heating budget. more...
Upgrade your furnace from 82 AFUE to 90 AFUE
You Could SAVE $37/yr!
Upgrade your cooling system.
A 25% increase in air conditioning efficiency can have a significant impact on your cooling budget. Upgrading your AC from 12 SEER to 15 SEER will save money for years to come. more...
Look at weather changes when bills seem unusually high.
Monthly temperature extremes are the number one cause of significant utility bill variations. If the weather has been excessively hot or cold, this will impact your energy bill. more...
Buy appliances with an eye toward efficiency.
Appliances account for about 20% of your household's energy bill. ENERGY STAR appliances are 15% to 40% more efficient than standard makes and models.
Older refrigerators can be energy hogs!
Look to replace your refrigerator if it is more than 10 years old. A new ENERGY STAR refrigerator uses at least 15% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than conventional models sold in 2001.
Understand how activities affect your electric bill.
Create an awareness between activities and corresponding energy use. Excessive "gaming" and other entertainment electronics can raise a monthly electric bill 5% to 10%.
Buy ENERGY STAR rated office equipment when making upgrades.
An LCD monitor consumes less than half the energy compared to a CRT monitor. Laptops are an efficient choice compared to desktop computers. Consult the ENERGY STAR directory of approved office equipment before making new purchases.
Use ENERGY STAR washing machines!
About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. Look to replace old washers with ENERGY STAR rated washing machines. The dryer is another large energy consumer, having one of the highest energy intensities of any home appliance. Any increase in laundry loads may be noticeable on your monthly utility bills.
Keep an eye on your hot water use
We use hot water in many places around the home. ENERGY STAR washers and dishwashers can minimize hot water use, but also be aware that long showers can drain your energy budget. Keeping showers to 10 minutes or less can have a significant impact in lowering your overall hot water energy use.
Turn off appliances when they are not in use.
High use of curling irons, blow dryers, and other small appliances can add up. Appliances help us in many ways, and their judicious use can keep us energy fit.
Replace the threshold under your front door.
If you feel cold air at the bottom of the door, you can cut your energy bill quite a bit by blocking that airflow. Foam insulation strips available at your local hardware store are also energy savers when placed at the sides and top of the door. more...
Watch how seasonal demands lead to high office energy use.
Often, an especially busy month at the home office will show up in increased electric usage on the utility bill. more...
Unplug unnecessary electric loads.
Many appliances still consume small amounts of energy when not in use. Battery chargers, cell phone chargers, computers, monitors, printers, TVs, cable boxes, and a host of other electrical devices all consume energy even though they appear to be turned off. more...
Compare apples-to-apples on your energy bill.
If your meter is read before the 15th of the month, most of the energy use on your bill will have occurred in the previous month. Note that the climate data used in the Home Energy calculator is for the current month only, so this may skew the comparison between your actual bill and the calculator estimate.
Monitor attic fan operation.
Attic fans can reduce the heat buildup in the upper floor of a home, but can also be energy hogs. An attic fan that runs 20 hours/day during the summer will consume 260 kWh in a month. Upgraded attic insulation and the use of air conditioning or room ceiling fans is a more cost-effective approach. Alternatives, such as solar powered attic fans, may also be a solution to lower energy bills.
Be aware that extra refrigerators and freezers are significant energy consumers.
Figure about 75 kWh/month for each additional refrigerator/freezer, or 100 kWh/month if the unit is more than 10 years old. more...
Reduce moisture intrusion.
A 1/2 HP sump pump running 4 hours a day consumes just over 50 kWh each month. Check alternatives to minimize basement moisture problems. more...
Use blinds and window treatments.
Not only do window treatments add some insulation in both winter and summer, they also block the sun's radiant energy during hot summer days. more...
Use portable heaters judiciously.
A 1,500 watt portable heater operated 10 hours/day will add 450 kWh to your monthly electric bill in the winter. more...

Carbon Footprint

Estimate Your Carbon Footprint

Update the My Home section on the left to tell us more about your home and better estimate your home's carbon footprint.

Estimated Annual Carbon Footprint

Electric

3.8

Natural Gas

3.6

Total

7.4 metric tons CO2

This is comparable to:

1.6 acres of pine trees!

1.4 cars on the road!

17.2 barrels of oil!

You can reduce your carbon footprint by lowering your energy use.
Try these tips to save energy in your home.

What is Carbon Footprint?

Carbon footprint is a means to understand the impact human activities have on the environment. It is measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), which has become a benchmark for the amount of greenhouse gases generated. It has been estimated that one family contributes approximately 20 metric tons of CO2 annually.

What is a metric ton of CO2?

The US EPA estimates that pine trees can absorb roughly 1 metric ton of carbon per acre per year, or about 3.7 metric tons of carbon dioxide. If your family has a 10 metric ton carbon dioxide footprint, it is comparable to the annual carbon dioxide absorption capacity of 2.1 acres of pine trees. Therefore, the planet needs 2.1 acres of pine trees to neutralize the impact of your family’s annual carbon emissions.

For a typical family, the energy consumption of a home is about half of that family’s total carbon emissions. The car that you drive has emissions that can be equated to metric tons of CO2. Food that you eat, clothing that you buy, garbage that you generate in your home, and so on all have CO2 equivalent ratings. Since transportation costs are a key component of a product’s carbon footprint, locally produced food and consumer goods have lower carbon footprints than those shipped across the country. Products that can be recycled or reused have lower carbon footprints.