Wegowise is an online utility tracking and reporting tool designed for owners and property managers of multi-family buildings. But I’ve been using the system to track usage at my single-family home for several weeks now , and have found that it works really well for my purposes too.
In terms of basic functionality, WegoWise is very similar to MyEnergy (also on our resource list): both sites will automatically retrieve your utility usage data from your utility companies, display this data all together on your personalized dashboard, and compare your usage against that of like properties. But WegoWise offers users a much more finely grained picture of your building’s energy and water use than MyEnergy does, as well as more sophisticated graphing and reporting tools.
These tools are great not only for property managers with a large portfolio of buildings but also homeowner energy geeks, which I seem to have become (if you download your home’s utility data into an excel spreadsheet every month, then you are an energy geek and would probably love WegoWise).
And if you’re only tracking one building and don’t want to share your data with other users, you get all the tracking and analytical tools for free! If you own multiple properties and/or wish to share your data, you will need a Wegopro account, starting costs for which are $5/building/month. In my opinion, though, this is money well-spent.
Choosing replacement windows (or new windows for that matter) can be pretty daunting. Window technology is incredible complicated, so if you want to get the most out of your investment–in terms of comfort and energy savings–you will need to master a whole host of variables including framing materials, glazing types, U-factor, solar heat gain coefficients, spacers and gas fills. It’s almost complicated enough to make you want to put up with your leaky, single paned windows for another season.
But not quite. Fortunately, there’s an online resource to help consumers wade through the options and make informed, energy-efficient choices. The Efficient Windows Collaborative includes a primer on windows, guidance for selecting windows for new construction and remodels, and a tool for calculating and comparing the costs of different window options. Whether you are shopping for windows or just want to understand how (well) your existing windows work, the site is well worth a visit.
We all get utility bills every month, but for some reason many of us–I’d venture to say most of us–don’t have a clue how much energy we use on a monthly or yearly basis. And, of course, in theory we all want to save energy but how many of us are motivated to make the investments and behavior changes that are necessary? Utilities are trying hard to crack the motivation nut, but there is also promising work being done by social media savvy entrepreneurs to empower end users to reduce their consumption.
Enter MyEnergy: an energy software company that retrieves and tracks utility data for residential consumers (whose utilities offer an online account portal) for free. Sign up is incredibly simple: you enter your utility account information along with your login and password. And, voila, MyEnergy creates a dashboard that displays your usage, compares it to your neighbors and offers you tips to help you save. Each month you receive a usage summary by email and your dashboard automatically updates to reflect your latest usage data. MyEnergy is also working on incentives to encourage savings. Try it out and let me know what you think. Is the feedback better that what you can get from your utility?
Here’s the bad news: the average American family of four uses a whopping 400 gallons of water a day. The good news is that it is relatively easy and cheap to dramatically reduce our usage by following basic conservation practices, such as finding and fixing leaks (the EPA estimates that 10% of American homes leak 90 gallons or more of water each day), and by replacing older fixtures with newer ones that use much less water.
Enter EPA’s Water Sense program: a certification program that allows consumers to easily identify water-efficient toilets, faucets and shower heads. Depending on the product category, EPA Water Sense certified products use 20-40% less water than the minimum federal standards. The program also certifies irrigation professionals who demonstrate their expertise in water-efficient irrigation technology and techniques.
Next Step Living is a Boston-based energy efficiency start-up offering energy assessments, upgrades, and “deep retrofit” services to residential customers in New England. As a MassSave partner, Next Step Living offers free energy assessments to Massachusetts residents. Diagnostics tests to determine the location of air leaks and insulation levels are also available for a fee. In my experience, these tests are well worth the price for those homeowners considering significant investments in the energy performance of their home. Next Step Living also oversees the recommended air sealing and insulation work, and ensures quality control. Finally they offer green construction services for residential customers.
The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency is an amazing resource for both businesses and homeowners looking to defray the costs of energy improvement upgrades The database, which is searchable by state, lists all incentives–including rebates, loans and tax credits–available at the federal, state and local level, as well as offered by utilities. Results can be limited to residential incentives only, which makes it easier for homeowners to find applicable programs.
If you are considering making significant energy upgrades to your home, I highly recommend that you first receive an energy assessment of your home’s thermal envelope, mechanical systems, lighting and appliances. An energy audit will help you estimate the payback time for the investment or investments you are considering. This information, together with available incentives, enables you to make smart, cost-effective energy investments in your home.
Massachusetts residents may consider contacting MassSave, a utility funded non-profit that provides free energy audits to Massachusetts residents. Please note that free MassSave audits do not include diagnostic tests, including infrared thermography and blower door tests, that are critical to determining the location of air leaks in your home. If you choose to work with MassSave, I would highly recommend paying for these diagnostics.
MassSAVE provides free energy audits to Massachusetts customers of a number of different utility companies including National Grid and NSTAR. Funded by the utility companies, MassSAVE’s mission is to help “save you money, improve the energy performance of your home, and reduce air pollution.”
In my view, an audit is valuable for anyone who wants to save money, conserve energy and improve the comfort of their home. MassSAVE not only provides this service free of charge, they also help homeowners act on their recommendations and provide information about rebates that are available from the utilities.
Green Decade Coalition/Newton is a Newton, MA based non-profit that promotes environmental stewardship through educational programming and advocacy. Green Decade is a highly respected organization that works closely and effectively with city leaders on a wide range of environmental issues from energy conservation to waste reduction to transportation. Green Decade’s educational programming is also extremely high quality. Of particular note is their environmental speaker series and their green tours.
Energy Federation Incorporated is a MA-based non-profit that provides products and services to help people conserve energy and water. EFI’s online store sells energy efficient lighting, low-flow shower-heads, and other conservation-related products directly to consumers. Many products that EFI sells, like dimmable CFLs, are hard to find at retail stores.
If you’re in the market for a new (or used car), you may want to visit the online website Fuel Economy. A joint project of the EPA and US Dept of Energy, Fuel Economy helps consumers make environmentally-informed decisions about their car purchases. One of the most helpful features of the site is a tool that scores vehicles according to environmental performance criteria (not only MPH but also annual gasoline consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution ratings). The site even allows you to do side-by-side comparisons.
