BGE offers free home energy check-ups to help save money

Baltimore Gas and Electric is offering free Quick Home Energy Check-ups to its customers as part of the EmPOWER Maryland program, funded by a charge on energy bills to help identify ways to save energy and money.

For Amanda and Michael Bianca, a family of four with two young children, finding ways to conserve energy is a priority.

“We use a lot of energy. We do a lot of laundry. (We have) a lot of lights on at all times,” Amanda Bianca told WBAL-TV 11 News.

“I’m always going around turning the lights off. So, I think about it a lot, trying to keep it as energy efficient as possible,” Michael Bianca told WBAL-TV 11 News.

The Biancas signed up for BGE’s Quick Home Energy Check-up to learn more about their home’s energy efficiency. During the visit, a technician with EZ Green, a BGE contractor, conducted a walkthrough of the home, pointing out areas for improvement and installing energy-saving products at no additional cost.

“It’s kind of just like Jiffy Lube for your house,” said Mark Wilson, a building analyst with EZ Green. “We are not doing anything major. We are just looking for small improvements that can consistently save the customer energy, like insulating hot water pipes, changing incandescent lightbulbs to LED lightbulbs, and high-flow showerheads to a more flow-efficient showerhead where it helps the water heater work less.”

Wilson emphasized that less energy usage can help customers save money.

“Even small things, like weatherstripping on your front door; when you close your front door, if you can see daylight coming out, just imagine pennies flying out of the front door; and when we come by and put some weatherstripping on it, it stops the pennies from flying out the door,” Wilson said. “It could be up to 15-20% in energy savings just from some small changes around your house.”

The Biancas are eager to implement changes and teach their children about energy efficiency.

“I think just ways that we can consistently know different ways, whether it’s lightbulbs, different ways to just save and make sure that we are conserving no matter what we do, I think is always important and to show the kids as well,” Amanda Bianca told WBAL-TV 11 News.

BGE has also filed a new proposal with the Maryland Public Service Commission for EmPOWER Maryland programs focused on cutting costs for customers.