Many D.C. residents were shocked when they opened their electricity bills this winter, reporting bills often hundreds of dollars higher than they expected. We dug into why electricity bills have spiked — in short, a combination of recent Pepco rate hikes, rising electricity costs due to a spike in demand from data centers, and extremely cold weather — but we also wanted to know whether D.C. residents could do anything about it. Unfortunately, there’s not a secret hack that’s guaranteed to bring down your bill. As we reported previously, utility affordability in D.C. goes beyond a household’s energy usage. But there are some important things to know.
Is there anything I can do to make my bills go down?
D.C.’s Department of Energy and Environment has a “do-it-yourself energy audit” on their website. It has a detailed list of common problem areas for energy loss in homes, like air leaks and lighting, and offers potential fixes for making your home more energy efficient.
There are also professional energy audits — though those can cost between $300 to $500, according to the DOEE’s website.
Such investments can pose a particular challenge for renters. When Thomas Cortez saw his Pepco bill go over $300 for his Dupont Circle basement unit in December, he tried getting his landlord to send someone to do an energy audit. “It got to the point where last week I just had to call an HVAC company myself and just tell my landlord I’d just pay for it myself,” Cortez said.
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Sam Delgado over at 51st News
