Have an energy specialist show you how to lower your energy bill

Saving energy – and money on your energy bill – just got a little easier. Duke Energy recently expanded its Home Energy House Call program to include a virtual option, giving customers a convenient way to realize energy savings by using less electricity.

With virtual assessments now available, customers can use their mobile phone or tablet cameras to walk an energy advisor through their home. An energy specialist will analyze customers’ total home energy usage and check the efficiency of their appliances and heating/cooling systems, identifying ways to save through improved energy efficiency.

“We launched the virtual assessments to provide more options for people who may not have previously qualified for the program,” said Cameron Woodard, senior products and services manager at Duke Energy. “Now, renters or owners of condos, townhouses and mobile homes all qualify for the new virtual options.”

In addition to a customized usage report, customers enrolled in the program receive a free Energy Efficiency Starter Kit, with about $30 worth of efficiency tools, like weatherstripping and water-saving products.

Raul Lopez is an energy advisor with the Home Energy House Call program. In just a few months, he has performed more than 300 assessments.

He starts by researching the customer’s 12-month energy usage history, and then spends about an hour with each customer, asking questions and suggesting ways to reduce usage and save energy. He also performs assessments in Spanish.

“The biggest inefficiency I see is with the HVAC system,” he said. “Many people are aware that their HVAC system is the largest energy user in the home, but I don't think they realize to what extent. When I share that it represents up to 50% of their energy usage, that comes as quite a shock.”

We might turn off the lights when we leave a room, wash clothes in cold water or take short showers to save energy, but Lopez enjoys sharing other solutions that people may not have considered. 

“I have customers tell me, ‘I know a lot about energy savings, so I feel like this won’t be useful to me.’ Then, at the end of the assessment, they say, ‘Wow, some of that stuff I didn’t know, and I feel like I can save even more energy.’”

So far, Duke Energy is energized by customers’ reaction. Assessors have performed more than 3,000 virtual assessments since the virtual option rolled out in 2024, and Lopez said customer input has been positive.

“Times are tough, and people are looking to save wherever they can,” Lopez said. “To be able to help someone save that extra bit of money, to give them some more financial stability through a simple passing of knowledge, is just amazing.”