The number of self-auditors is expected to double by the end of 1998, as more utilities see the Internet as a way to provide services, helping them to hold on to their customers in an era of deregulation. John Powers of Energy Interactive, one of four companies that offer Web auditing software and services to utilities, notes a dramatic increase in inquiries from utilities that want to offer the product. At first, this tool was seen as a novelty. The first home energy audit program came on-line in the fall of 1996, through Commonwealth Edison in Illinois. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Home Energy Saver Web site provides an audit using the first three digits of the user's zip code in conjunction with a in-depth home energy survey.
Data is input by utility staff, and results and recommendations are mailed back to the consumer.
One company offering software for this purpose is EcoGroup. E Miraloma Ave.