Reducing Energy Costs with Microsoft Hohm’s New ZIP Code Guide for the U.S.

Everyone wants to be smarter about how they use energy.  One great way to do that is with Microsoft Hohm, our online tool that helps consumers save energy and save money.

In response to many requests from our community, we’re excited to announce the launch of Hohm ZIP code pages for every ZIP code (postal code) in the country—all  42,000+ of them.

Today, we’re delighted to report that visitors to Microsoft Hohm will see a new home page where we will display the energy cost breakdown for an average home in any given ZIP code. That information will include how much is spent annually on heating, appliances, and lighting, as well as the amount of money the average household in that ZIP code could save each year through smarter energy use. 

Consumers can refine their energy use and compute potential energy savings by simply entering their home’s square footage and year built.  From there, visitors can explore our Energy Saving Tips area, where they will find our top energy savings recommendations for their ZIP code.  As always, consumers who want more personalized tips and recommendations can build a free Hohm profile.  The more information consumers share about their home and their energy use, the more precise Microsoft Hohm can be in suggesting energy-saving recommendations.

If you’ve ever wondered just how much you could be saving each year on energy costs, or how your home energy use compares to your friends and family living across the U.S., we encourage you to check out these new features on Hohm.   As we’ve looked through the data, we’ve found that households in the major cities below could be saving quite a bit if they implemented recommendations provided by Microsoft Hohm:

San Francisco: up to $430 a year, or 17 percent savings.
Los Angeles: up to $370 a year, or 20 percent,
Boston: up to $570 a year, or 15 percent.
Chicago: up to $310 a year, or 11 percent.
New York: up to $510 a year, or 14 percent.

And just in case you were wondering where households, on average, spend the most on energy: The answer is Alaska. 

For more information, and to see your potential savings and how your home stacks up to others in your area, head over to http://www.microsoft-hohm.com/ and be sure to join the conversation online via Twitter (twitter.com/microsofthohm) and our Facebook Fan Page

 

Posted by Troy Batterberry
Product Unit Manager, Microsoft Hohm.

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