Department Resources

Home Energy

Home is where the heart is. It’s also where the energy bills are. From month to month, your electricity or natural gas bill can change dramatically, depending on how you’re using energy at home.

Whether you rent an apartment or own a single-family house, you can improve your experience at home while saving money with a few simple changes.

Making smart choices about energy use, water conservation, waste, materials, and improvement projects can increase your comfort at home and reduce your out-of-pocket costs, while also benefiting our neighbors and the broader community by reducing energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

On this webpage, you’ll find information, resources and assistance to encourage energy-saving activities and behaviors at home.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

The first step to reducing your bills is being aware of how much energy you use, and it’s easier than you think.

Use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Carbon Footprint Calculator to estimate your greenhouse gas emissions and learn the numbers behind your personal choices and habits at home. Using basic information about your household size, general location, and home energy costs, the calculator identifies ways to reduce your emissions and provides estimated annual savings.

How to evaluate your household numbers:

Review your utility bills and average energy use (total kWh used) per month
Look for major discrepancies from month to month and year to year, and try to reason through what may be causing big swings – is it something behavioral like running your HVAC when you’re not home, or is it something technological/physical like an air leak?

While you’re evaluating your home energy use, you should also look at how other daily activities like driving your car contribute to greenhouse gas emissions – by reviewing your car’s fuel bills, vehicles miles traveled and average mileage.

Read our Know Your Numbers: The Cost Savings of Climate Action article to learn more.

CONDUCT A HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENT

Ready to take it a step further? A home energy assessment, also known as a home energy audit, lets you know how energy efficient your home is. It identifies problem areas and recommends improvements so you can save energy and money on your utility bills month after month.

During a home energy assessment, a contractor will examine your home for upgrades and repairs that can save you both energy and money. At the conclusion of the assessment, you will be provided with a personalized report with suggested changes and actions to help keep your energy costs down.

If you choose to act on any of the recommendations, you may qualify for federal tax incentives or one or more rebates from your utility provider.

Read Get to Know Your Energy Use (and Discover Ways to Save) with an Energy Assessments article to learn more.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, TAX INCENTIVES and REBATES

Federal, state, and energy provider incentives can help Fairfax County residents offset the costs of purchasing and installing energy-efficiency upgrades and equipment. Visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Savings Hub to learn more about federal incentives for home energy upgrades.

Virginia has its very own energy efficiency education program with information on tax incentives and rebates – Virginia Energy Sense. Additionally, the websites below offer a variety of financial assistance options for home energy projects.

Dominion Energy Conservation - For Dominion Energy customers,a full list of residential and business programs.
Washington Gas Programs – For Washington Gas customers, several types of equipment rebates are available.
Columbia Gas of Virginia Programs – For Columbia Gas of Virginia customers, several rebates for qualifying upgrades are available.
Weatherization Assistance – The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development offers financial assistance for weatherization projects to low-income households.
Energy Assistance Program – The Virginia Department of Social Services offers bill and equipment payment assistance to eligible low-income households.
Fairfax County Solar Equipment Tax Exemption – Qualifying installations entitle the property owner to a tax exemption for five years.

DIY RESOURCES

While a home energy assessment by a licensed energy auditor will provide the most comprehensive results, there are many do-it-yourself steps that you can take on your own to improve your home's energy efficiency. The following EPA and U.S. Department of Energy online resources can help you conduct your own energy assessment and identify improvements:

Learn how to locate air leaks, check insulation levels, inspect your heating and cooling equipment and more at Do It Yourself Home Energy Audits.
Compare your home's annual energy use to similar homes at the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick page.
Find ideas and information on specific energy-saving home improvement projects at Energy Savings at Home.

BUY ENERGY STAR® APPLIANCES

If you’re in the market for a new fridge, washing machine, or other major household appliance, look for the ENERGY STAR label to ensure you’re getting the most energy-efficient model. This certification from the EPA indicates that a product is more efficient than its conventional counterparts.

Investing in ENERGY STAR technology can save you energy and money over time. A new ENERGY STAR refrigerator is about 15 percent more energy efficient than the minimum federal standard for refrigerators and can cost you about $50 a year to run, on average, while a full-size electric ENERGY STAR washer can save more than $350 in energy costs over the lifetime of the product.

Use the ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder to find available rebates and special offers on ENERGY STAR-certified products.

In addition to saving money over time by purchasing energy-efficient appliances and technology, you can also receive rebates from local utilities for your investment.

If you are a customer of Dominion Energy, you can find available rebates for ENERGY STAR purchases online. You can also take advantage of Dominion’s appliance recycling program and you may be eligible for a $20 rebate when you recycle your old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers.

VANQUISH THE VAMPIRES

Search your house for energy vampires, or those devices that continue to suck electricity even when they’re “off.” Vampires are usually easy to spot as they often include an indicator light that glows even when you’re not using them.

If your energy vampires are centered around an entertainment center or home office set up, consider using a smart power strip which allows you to turn off a handful of related electronics or appliances when a single piece of tech is turned off. Otherwise, try to remember to unplug these devices when they're not in use. Read our article to learn more about vampire energy.

LOOK FOR LEAKS

HVAC systems are the biggest energy hogs in buildings and you pay for every bit of energy used to heat or cool your home. Don’t let your dollars slip away through cracks or gaps around your windows, doors, and exterior outlets.

Use a thermal camera to check for air leaks around your house, and then install weatherstripping or use caulk to close them up. Also, consider using socket sealers to prevent air from leaking out through electrical outlets or light switch plates on exterior walls of your home. Read Seal Air Leaks as the Weather Turns Colder to learn more.

ADJUST THE THERMOSTAT

One of the simplest ways to avoid paying too much for energy is to adjust your thermostat. If you have a programmable thermostat, use it to establish a schedule in the winter months so that your house is warmer when you’re home and awake and cooler when you’re away or sleeping. The same strategy applies in the summer months: set the temperature as high as is comfortable when you're home and warmer than normal when you're away. Even one or two degrees either way can make a big difference.

person adjusting a thermostat
If you don’t yet have a programmable thermostat, consider purchasing one. Dominion Energy is currently offering up to $30 in rebates to customers who purchase a smart thermostat and even more savings for those who enroll in its smart thermostat rewards programs. In the interim, set an alarm on your phone or clock to remind you to adjust your thermostat before you leave or when you get home.

Discover more Energy Saving Tips.

Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination

Alert:

Department Resources

Home Energy

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

CONDUCT A HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENT

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, TAX INCENTIVES and REBATES

DIY RESOURCES

THERMAL CAMERA LOAN PROGRAM

TAKE SMALL ACTIONS FOR BIG IMPACT

BUY ENERGY STAR® APPLIANCES

VANQUISH THE VAMPIRES

LOOK FOR LEAKS

ADJUST THE THERMOSTAT

SWITCH TO LEDs

HomeWise

MORE RESOURCES

Fairfax Virtual Assistant