By Lena Babaeva Coradini

Nashville Electric Service (NES) has had fewer than 1 percent of its residential customers take advantage of their in-home energy evaluation program:

Of NES’s more than 317,700 residential power customers, only 585 have paid for an in-home energy evaluation since the program launched nearly a year ago. Westborough, Mass.-based Conservation Services Group, a Tennessee Valley Authority contractor, conducts the inspections at a cost of $150.

. . .

Under the program, homeowners pay a flat fee for a consultant to spend between two to four hours reviewing a home’s energy strengths and weaknesses. The consultant leaves the homeowner with a list of recommended changes, including estimated costs and financial benefits. If homeowners make improvements within 90 days that are valued at more than the original $150, they are reimbursed for the inspection fee and 50 percent of the installation costs, up to an additional $500.

Of those that have paid for evaluations, fewer than half — 187 — followed through and verified that they’d made the suggested improvements, which must be made by a TVA-recognized contractor and reviewed by Conservation Services Group.

One of TVA’s partner contractors in Nashville is E3 Innovate, and they are taking some measures to educate the public on the benefits of the home inspection in order to help NES meet the goal.

As someone who has had a home inspection from NES, with very good results, and someone who is involved with the Go Green District 18 program, I must say it is worth the $150 for the inspection.  If the evaluation identifies changes that need to be made, you get the $150 back, along with additional cost of the improvement, and the return for what you paid will benefit your home and energy use for a long time. 

Thanks to Erik Daugherty for bringing my attention to this article.