How to Save on Your Energy Bill: My Free Home Energy Assessment Results

Did you know you can get a free energy assessment for your home? Because I sure didn’t!

During the brutal winter of 2025, I was determined to slash our utility bills as part of my savings goal. After watching our energy bill creep higher each month, I did some digging and discovered that Pepco offers free energy audits and let me tell you, it was a total game-changer!

Here’s what worked for us:

1) Get a Free Energy Assessment

The biggest thing I gained from our energy audit? Awareness lots of it!

I used to think energy savings were just about the basics: turning off lights, switching to LEDs, and adjusting the thermostat. But there’s so much more to it! I had no idea our utility company even offered this service, and I’m so glad we took advantage of it. Whether you rent or own, this simple step can help you cut costs and make your home more energy-efficient.

🔎 What They Did During Our Audit:

• Gave us free power strips – Some electronics keep using energy even when they’re off! The expert explained how power strips can stop this “phantom” energy use.

• Checked our water heater – Turns out, we were overheating water and wasting energy without even realizing it. I never thought about how much that impacted our bill!

• Shared smart heating & cooling tips – Small thermostat tweaks make a big difference.

• Checked our windows for leaks – Even tiny gaps let cold air in, making the heater work harder.

• Recommended upgrading our thermostat – A digital thermostat makes it easier to control heating and cooling, but since we live in an apartment, this wasn’t an option for us. However, homeowners can benefit greatly from this upgrade for free, if they don't have it already!

They also offer paid audits with even deeper insights, but honestly, the free one was eye-opening enough to help us slash our energy bill!

If you haven’t done this yet, I highly recommend it. You might be surprised where your money is going!

2) Use Power Strips for Electronics

Did you know devices still use power even when they’re turned off? Yep! That TV, laptop charger, or coffee maker is silently draining electricity and adding to your bill.

A Simple Fix: Power Strips!

Power strips help manage electronics that don’t need to be constantly plugged in. Most have sections for:

• Always On – is to plug in things like WiFi routers that need to stay on.

• Control – Plug in a device that will act as the master controller.

• Energy Savings – Devices here only get power when the controller is on.

Learning this during my energy assessment was a lightbulb moment, but knowing isn’t enough—you have to actually make the change! So, I went around my home and made a few easy swaps:

• TV & entertainment center → WiFi plugged in on always ON, TV became the controller and speaker and other accessories will use energy only TV Powered on

• Home office setup → Power strip (printer, monitor, and laptop—laptop plugged into the control section, while others are in the energy-saving section)

If you haven’t tried this yet, give it a shot! Your wallet will thank you..

3) Adjust Your Thermostat—Without the Family Revolt!

You know you can cut heating costs just by tweaking your thermostat for a few hours a day. The Department of Energy recommends lowering it by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours, like when you're asleep or away. Sounds simple, right? But in reality, getting the whole family on board can be tricky!

Lower the Heat at Night: Save Money, Sleep Better, and Help the Planet

Last winter, we kept our thermostat cranked up to 79-80°F—way too warm! This year, I decided to make a change. Over two weeks, I gradually lowered it to 70°F, and guess what? We adjusted just fine!

Not only did this small change save us money, but it also improved our sleep. Experts recommend keeping your bedroom between 65-67°F for better sleep quality, so dropping the temperature at night was a win-win. And let’s not forget the bigger picture—using less energy means reducing our environmental impact. Every small change adds up!

💡 Pro tip:  At first, I used to sneak into the hallway to turn the heat down after my husband raised it (guilty!), only to see it go right back up. But then I realized that constantly adjusting the thermostat was actually wasting more energy.

The real solution? Communication. Once we talked about why we were making this change—aligning it with our shared values—it became much easier to keep the temperature steady at 70°F and simply layer up when needed.

Small shifts like this might seem minor, but they add up. When we make intentional choices, we create a bigger impact—together. 🌍💡

Adjust the Temperature When You’re Away

At first, I thought turning the heat completely off when we weren’t home would save money. Nope! It actually makes your system work harder (and use more energy) to warm the house back up. Instead, I now lower it by 7-10 degrees when we’re out. Less energy, lower bills!

Bonus Tip: The Simple Laundry Hack That Saves Money and Protects Your Clothes

Did you know that washing your laundry in cold water not only saves energy but also helps your clothes last longer? Most of the energy used in laundry goes toward heating water, so making the switch to cold can lower your utility bills without sacrificing cleanliness.

Plus, hot water is tough on fabrics; it fades colors, weakens fibers, and shortens the lifespan of your favorite pieces. That’s why I stick to cold water for everyday loads and only use hot when absolutely necessary (like for bedding or heavily soiled clothes).

It’s such a small change, but the benefits add up: lower energy costs, longer-lasting clothes, and a smaller environmental footprint. Win-win!

Key Takeaway

My point is: you don’t need to make drastic lifestyle changes to see real savings. Simply managing what you already have more efficiently—and getting your household on board—can lead to lower bills without sacrificing comfort.

And please remember, you don’t have to do every saving option you find online all at once! Just pick one small change and apply it at your own pace. Small tweaks add up over time. Like with anything, consistency is the name of the game! 

Tip: Check your energy bill before making changes, then compare it after one billing cycle—you’ll see the difference! That’s when I really saw the fruits of my efforts. So don’t get discouraged within one billing cycle! You might get a surprised decline on the next one

Would you try any of these? Let me know in the comments! 👇