Home Energy Audits--Only a Web Site Away

By linking the data that consumers input on the Web site to the consumers' actual bills, as well as accessing weather data and making some general assumptions, online audit programs can estimate how consumers use their energy, and suggest ways to conserve.

Fifteen forward-looking utilities are offering their residential customers a chance to perform energy audits on their own homes, any time of the day, for free. The customers can simply go to the utility's Web site, enter their utility account number, and spend 30 minutes answering questions on-line about their home, appliances, and usage patterns. Using a year's worth of that customer's utility bills, a software program goes to work estimating how much of their energy costs come from which end uses--a process known as bill disaggregation. Shortly after, up pops a report on estimated end uses, recommendations for ways to save energy dollars, and links to additional resources. At least one site even offers comparisons to energy usage in other homes in the same neighborhood.

Bill disaggregation tools differ from other types of energy analysis program in that they are 100% accurate on total energy use because they use actual billing histories. Other programs can only estimate total costs. (Breakdowns within categories, however, are only rough estimates in any type of program.) By linking a consumer's survey responses to actual bills, accessing weather data, and making some assumptions, these audit programs work back from a given total to estimate various end uses. Pie charts and graphs make the results visually appealing and easy to understand. The tools also identify where a consumer might cut energy use, and by how much. Some recommendations are general and are included in every report; others are directly related to the customer's input. A household might be advised to adjust thermostat setbacks, buy a more efficient refrigerator, install a reflective roof, and plant shade trees. At least one program, Electrotek Concepts, suggests that customers read specific articles in Home Energy magazine! Another significant difference between these on-line audits and other home audit programs is that the on-line audits provide the utility with marketing information and opportunities that other programs cannot produce. The utilities that offer the audits are a mix of public-owned and investor-owned companies; they have ideas and products to promote. They work with the software vendors to customize programs, and to add links to various resources such as libraries of additional information, on-line energy stores, on-line contractors, advisors who can answer specific questions, and catalogs.

These marketing opportunities can provoke consumer concerns about data security. Utilities buy on-line audit programs to enhance their images as service providers and in many cases to be able to target their marketing efforts. Without disclaimers to the contrary, there is nothing to prevent them from using data themselves or selling it to others. Many consumers may not be aware of this as a possible infringement of privacy. I feel that each utility should address this issue in its opening screens. A few do, but most do not.

Another security issue is the availability of survey data to hackers. This concern is somewhat offset by the fact that the surveys use account numbers only-no names or addresses are shown on-line. Hackers would have to be able to work all the way into the database records of the utility to gain information to satisfy their interests--perhaps for mailing lists and marketing information. These database records can be made as secure as any given utility cares to make them.

For at least one utility, security concerns are what has slowed the introduction of on-line audits. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), a large California gas and electric utility with nearly 4 million residential customers, plans to offer an on-line bill disaggregation tool to their customers by the end of 1998. According to Duane Larson, PG&E's senior program manager for energy education, PG&E has delayed introducing their "Energy Savings Plan" interactive site until they are certain that no hacker can access their customer database. "It's a new industry," he said, "and we want to put in enough firewalls that consumers can be assured all utility customer records will remain confidential." The site will use the same software, developed internally, that has been used successfully for phone-in surveys from their Smarter Energy Line.
 

Case by Case

Not all programs, however, broke down usage in the same way or with the same precision. Some included data on gas; others let customers enter their own gas bill figures, depending on whether the utility sells both gas and electricity or only electricity. Generally, the accuracy of the bill breakdown is only as good as the questions posed, the answers given, and the assumptions of the program.

In the Volt VIEWtech site, users will be drawn into the survey by the opening question, "Need Extra Money?" and the catchy graphics inviting them to participate. Volt carries through with clear, cleverly illustrated results screens that make it easy to see where savings are available. The recommendations, however, left me puzzled. The first was a pitch--including an 800 number--to obtain a home energy savings loan with payments as low as $50 per month. Two minor recommendations followed to improve my already efficient home, for an estimated savings of $76 per year. It wasn't clear to me why I should obtain a loan.

The A&C Enercom site interface is clear and concise-perhaps too concise. The list of questions is short compared to the other surveys I used, which I assume leads to a less refined analysis. Some users, however, will prefer a survey they can scroll through rapidly. The most glaring flaw I found was that the program would not calculate results with "none" for a choice of air conditioners. I had to pretend I had one. On the other hand, the program let me slip by with no refrigerator!

Electrotek Concepts offers users a two-stage survey: heating and cooling only, with very little input required; and a more detailed version which includes appliances and other end uses. I liked the comprehensive recommendations-each one was highlighted in a box followed by educational information and suggested readings (primarily from the Rocky Mountain Institute and Home Energy). The recommendations may be overwhelming to--and go unread by--users wanting only a set of figures and a graph or two. Electrotek's rationale, and I agree with it, is that people taking the time to complete surveys should be given enough information to make it worthwhile--they can then choose how much detail they want.

The user interface for the Energy Interactive site provides multiple-choice answers which make responding easy, but this method lacks the precision of direct input. For example, I chose "fully insulated" for my ceiling, rather than partial or none. This response would not account for the significant difference between, say, R-6 and R-38 ceiling insulation. The recommendations appeared to have missed some of my inputs. They did not suggest that I replace an old, inefficient refrigerator with a new one, but I was advised to install a low-flow showerhead although I said I had one. Consumers may see such errors as minor irritations or as serious flaws that would make them doubt the validity of the entire report.

New Evaluation Just In

The report is a comprehensive review of how each program works, and a comparative analysis of their ease of use and features. It compares program outputs against each other and against metered data. Finally, it comments on the recommendations made in each program. It will be available at no charge to utilities that fund any of EPRI's residential targets. Others may call EPRI's Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-313-3774 or contact them via e-mail at ASKEPRI@epri.com.

Do Audits Save Energy?

Whether or not home audits will save energy, they may save on consumers' and utilities' energy costs-at least in those areas where consumers are offered time-of-use rate structures. On-line audits can allow consumers to manipulate times they consume the most energy and then see the dollar savings appear on-screen immediately. If home audits convince enough customers to spread out electricity usage more evenly over a 24-hour period, utilities will gain measurable benefits from this leveling of peak electricity.

Are Consumers Satisfied?

According to David Trumble and Sandy Smith of Electrotek Concepts, their research shows customers want an on-line home audit to answer the following questions:

How have their energy costs changed over time?
Have previous energy savings efforts been worth the cost and effort?
How do their energy costs compare to that of other, similar households?
How do end-use energy costs explain their total energy bills?
What energy savings options are available to lessen their high energy usages?
What cost-effective energy savings measures are likely to generate the best results?

Utilities can customize software to varying degrees, and would be able to provide additional data should they so choose--for an additional cost. More information would mean longer surveys and longer reports. Each utility will be answering for itself the questions of how much data will consumers take the time to input and how much information do they want at the end.

Consumer Use Increasing

The number of self-auditors is expected to double by the end of 1998, as more utilities see the Internet as a way to provide services, helping them to hold on to their customers in an era of deregulation. John Powers of Energy Interactive, one of four companies that offer Web auditing software and services to utilities, notes a dramatic increase in inquiries from utilities that want to offer the product. "At first, this tool was seen as a novelty. Now we are getting serious inquiries from utilities everywhere in the United States," he says.

The first home energy audit program came on-line in the fall of 1996, through Commonwealth Edison in Illinois. By late 1998, at least 15 utilities were offering interactive Web auditing tools to their residential customers in 16 states and Canada (see "Utilities That Offer On-Line Audits to Residential Customers"). With at least 20% of U.S. home computers linked to the Internet, utilities have well over 2 million potential residential customers who could be signing on for an on-line home audit.

Utilities That Offer On-Line Audits to Residential Customers
Utility:	Region:
Ameren UE	Missouri
City of Independence Power & Light	Missouri
Central Hudson	New York
Central & South West (Subsidiaries: Central Power & Light, Public Service Co. of Oklahoma, South-western Electric Power, West Texas Utilities)	Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
Commonwealth Edison	Illinois
Duke Power	North Carolina, South Carolina
Jackson EMC	Georgia
KN Energy	Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming
Niagara Mohawk	New York
Pacific Gas & Electric	California
Salt River Project	Arizona
San Diego Gas & Electric	California
Sawnee EMC	Georgia
Sudbury Hydro	Ontario, Canada
Texas Utilities	Texas

Other Home Audit Resources In addition to the tools discussed in this article, householders can take advantage of a variety of other auditing tools: Many utility Web sites offer various other types of energy calculations and services that are not tied to actual billing histories. These sites--which were not reviewed here and are too numerous to list--help customers to make estimates and to compare appliances, home improvements, and in some cases utility rates.  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Home Energy Saver Web site provides an audit using the first three digits of the user's zip code in conjunction with a in-depth home energy survey.  Oarsman Corporation describes its Web site as one "where anyone can evaluate the operating costs of energy-using equipment and compare electric and natural gas rates from around the world." For those customers who aren't linked up, many utilities offer mail-in or phone-in energy-use surveys. Data is input by utility staff, and results and recommendations are mailed back to the consumer. One company offering software for this purpose is EcoGroup. Their Home Energy Survey provides utilities with what they describe as a "personalized approach to educate residential customers about how they spend their energy dollar" and promises that this process reduces customer service costs by as much as 40%. They claim their research shows that "within six months of receiving their report, over 4% of customers reported purchasing a major appliance using energy efficiency as a decision criterion." For those who equate Web sites with long waits, by the end of the year, at least one utility will offer a speedier audit program that combines the advantages of the Internet with those of a CD-ROM. With ENERGYsmart, developed by Nexus, a CD-ROM is sent to the customer for portions of the survey and calculations (see "The Energy Expert in the CD-Drive," HE Sept/Oct '98, p. 28).

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