Frequently asked questions

TVA EnergyRight is the division of the Tennessee Valley Authority that offers energy services and solutions to residential customers across the Tennessee Valley. From energy-saving advice to trusted contractors, TVA EnergyRight and your local power company are here to give you the tools and information you need to feel confident making smart energy decisions that make your home more energy efficient and save you money.

Home energy efficiency refers to all the ways your home uses (or loses) energy. The more energy efficient your home is, the lower your electricity bill will be and the smaller your carbon footprint. Plus, when you make more energy efficient decisions around your home, including completing home energy upgrades, it helps keep the price of power low and offsets the need for TVA to build new power plants or go outside of the Valley to purchase power during high-demand times.

When we say “home energy upgrade,” we’re referring to repairs, replacements and installations to anything in your home that affects how electricity is used. That could be everything from getting a tune-up on your HVAC system or installing a new electric water heater to switching to energy efficient LED light bulbs or cleaning your refrigerator coils. The more energy efficient your home is, the lower your energy bills will be. 

Saving energy means saving money. Everything we offer through Residential Services is designed to help you understand how your home uses energy and the steps to take to save energy, live more comfortably and save money on your energy bills. Together with your local power company, we offer the following services:

• Home Energy Evaluation: Find out how your home uses (and loses) energy, plus get customized energy- and money-saving recommendations for your home.
• DIY Home Energy Assessment: Explore the ins and outs of your home’s energy use at your own pace, at the time that’s best for you.
• Quality Contractor Network: Get access to hundreds of licensed and insured contractors trained to meet TVA’s quality guidelines.
• Financing: Find out if you’re eligible to finance home energy upgrades, like installing new appliances or an HVAC system.
• EnergyRight Marketplace: Read ratings and reviews, compare prices, and explore financing options on energy efficient appliances and products.

Residential Services are available to single-family homeowners served by participating local power companies. Not sure if that’s you? Check out our list of local power company partners. 

Here are a few other things you need to know:

• Not all residential services are available in all areas or through all local power companies.
• Home eligibility is based on the property address, type of housing and local power company participation.
• Condos and townhomes do meet TVA’s definition of a single-family home, but apartments don’t. 
• There’s no age limit on homes.
• Landlords can use residential services on as many of their eligible single-family properties as they’d like. For most in-home services, the landlord and the tenant must sign an Agreement to Participate.
• In most cases, owners of unoccupied homes can use residential services if the home has an active meter with a customer paying the monthly service bill.

All our energy education and advice is free to anyone to use! We offer tons of no-cost tips and tricks for saving energy at home. All in-home residential services are available to renters with consent from your landlord.

Make sure you look into TVA EnergyRight’s Home Uplift Program. We provide an average of $10,000 in free home energy improvements to income-eligible customers of participating local power companies. These improvements can save you hundreds of dollars on your utility bills.

Learn more about Home Uplift.

We understand how stressful keeping up with utility bills can become. If you’re struggling with your bill payments, we encourage you to explore the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps income-eligible households pay for their home energy bills.

Learn more about LIHEAP.

In many cases, high energy bills are a result of home energy inefficiencies. If you think that may be the case in your situation, request a Home Energy Evaluation so you can begin to learn how your home uses (and loses) energy. If you uncover some areas that could use upgrading, you may be eligible for home energy upgrade assistance through your state’s Weatherization Assistance Program. 

Find out more about the Weatherization Assistance Program.

A Home Energy Evaluation is led by a TVA-certified Home Energy Advisor who evaluates your home’s energy room by room so you can learn how your home uses (and loses) energy; plus get customized energy- and money-saving recommendations for your home.

Home Energy Evaluations are available to customers of participating local power companies.

Single-family homes are eligible for a Home Energy Evaluation. In most cases, condos and townhomes are also eligible. While apartments aren’t eligible, landlords of single-family homes can request a Home Energy Evaluation for each of their eligible properties as they’d like. The landlord and the tenant will both need to sign an Agreement to Participate. And in most cases, owners of unoccupied homes can request an evaluation if the home has an active meter. 

Find out if your local power company offers evaluations. Or call 1-855-237-2673.

During your Home Energy Evaluation, a TVA-certified Home Energy Advisor will look at 10 different areas:

• Air sealing
• Appliances/electronics
• Attic insulation
• Duct system
• HVAC
• Lighting
• Refrigerator
• Wall insulation
• Water heater
• Windows and doors

When the evaluation is complete, your Home Energy Advisor will share your home’s efficiency score, ranking your home’s energy efficiency on a scale of 1-10. You’ll also get your home’s efficiency report with personalized and prioritized recommendations for ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency so you know exactly where to start next. Plus, you’ll get six energy-saving LED light bulbs and a $10 Home Depot gift card mailed to your home.

An efficiency score measures your home’s energy efficiency on a scale of 1-10. The average home scores a 7. 

It depends on the size of your home, but in general, evaluations take around 60 to 90 minutes.

Scheduling an in-person or virtual Home Energy Evaluation is easy! Take 15 seconds to find out if your home is eligible. If it is, follow the prompts from there to schedule your home’s evaluation. Or give us a call at 1-855-237-2673.

The free, self-guided DIY Home Energy Assessment lets you explore the ins and outs of your home’s energy use at your own pace, at the time that’s best for you. Our prompts will show you where to look and what to look for. At the end, you’ll receive your home’s efficiency score, a personalized home energy efficiency report and recommendations for what home energy upgrades will make the biggest difference. Plus, you’ll get six energy-saving LED light bulbs and a $10 Home Depot gift card mailed to your home.

As long as you’re a customer of a local power company served by TVA and have access to the internet, you’re good to go! Find out if your local power company offers the DIY Home Energy Assessment. 

No scheduling is required! This assessment is self-guided, so you can start whenever you’d like.

Home Uplift provides an average of $10,000 in free home energy upgrades to income-eligible customers of participating local power companies so they can save energy and money. 

Yes, they’re 100% free. TVA EnergyRight and local power companies work together with local governments, community organizations, and public and private businesses to provide the funds needed for each Home Uplift home.

If your application is approved, a Home Energy Advisor will conduct a Home Energy Evaluation in your home. If it’s determined that your home qualifies for a Home Uplift, your advisor will outline the best home energy upgrades for your home. Those upgrades may include one or more of the following:

• Air sealing
• New attic insulation
• Duct system repairs or replacement
• New HVAC system
• Updated lighting
• New refrigerator
• New wall insulation
• New water heater
• New windows and doors

All home energy upgrades are completed by contractors that have been vetted by TVA EnergyRight and your local power company. They are licensed, insured and have been trained to meet TVA’s quality guidelines. 

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a customer of a local power company offering Home Uplift.
• Meet income qualifications.
• Reside in a single-family home or manufactured home (manufactured homes must be built after 1976 and on a permanent foundation).
• Have not received upgrades to the current residence in a similar TVA-funded project in the past 20 years.

Not sure if that’s you? Call 1-888-986-7262, or email support@mytva.com. 

Learn more about Home Uplift and how to apply here or by calling 1-888-986-7262.

Every home is different, but on average, customers are able to reduce their overall energy use by 25% and save up to $500 annually on their energy bills.

You might qualify for your state’s Weatherization Assistance Program. 

Find out more about the Weatherization Assistance Program.

For more information about contributions to Home Uplift, email energyrighthomes@tva.gov. 

The Quality Contractor Network gives customers of participating local power companies access to hundreds of trustworthy licensed and insured contractors trained to meet TVA’s quality guidelines.

Never. The Quality Contractor Network is a free resource to customers of participating local power companies.

Through the Quality Contractor Network, you can get help with:

• Air sealing
• New appliances/electronics
• New attic insulation
• Duct system repairs or replacement
• New HVAC system
• Updated lighting
• New refrigerator
• New wall insulation
• New water heater
• New windows and doors

After answering two simple questions to determine your home’s eligibility, you’ll receive a list of TVA-vetted contractors that you can filter by ZIP code, distance from you, number of jobs completed and customer rating. View their profiles and even contact them through the Quality Contractor Network portal.

Find your next contractor today.

Absolutely. Many contractors specialize in specific types of home energy upgrades. You might want to hire one contractor for window replacements and another one for an HVAC replacement. 

Every home energy upgrade completed by a Quality Contractor Network member is eligible for a free inspection by a TVA-certified Home Energy Advisor to ensure it meets TVA’s quality guidelines.

A completed application must include:

• General company information
• A valid business license (minimum one year required)
• A completed banking form for electronic funds transfer
• A completed W-9
• A certificate of insurance (general liability and workers’ comp)
• Evidence of a minimum of $500,000 general liability insurance, or $1 million for HVAC contractors
• A list of local power companies operating where your company does business

Additional documents for HVAC contractors:

• A certificate of NATE/HVAC Excellence

• Manual J Certification 

Start the application.

Use the business license that you perform the most work under.

Absolutely. Saving money on energy shouldn’t break the bank. That’s why we offer affordable, $0 down financing for home energy upgrades — like a new HVAC unit or attic insulation — that will save you money and help you live more comfortably.

You can get financing for:

• Air sealing
• New appliances/electronics
• New attic insulation
• Duct system repairs or replacement
• New HVAC system
• Updated lighting
• New refrigerator
• New wall insulation
• New water heater
• New windows and doors

To take advantage of financing through TVA EnergyRight and/or your local power company, your home energy upgrade must be completed by a member of the Quality Contractor Network. Every Quality Contractor Network member is licensed and insured and has been trained to meet TVA’s quality guidelines.  

Just fill out this 30-second form to find out. Or you can email support@mytva.com.

Never.

Yes, to see if you qualify for financing, we’ll need to run your credit. 

Absolutely.

With on-bill financing, your monthly loan payment will be added onto your monthly energy bill. On-bill financing is not available through all local power companies. With off-bill financing, offered by Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance Inc., you’ll receive a separate bill each month for your loan payment. Check with your local power company to find out what type of financing is available to you.

Currently, there are no rebates available for home energy upgrades through TVA EnergyRight. You may be eligible for a federal tax credit. Learn more about primary residence tax credits here. 

All home energy upgrades are performed by a member of TVA EnergyRight’s Quality Contractor Network. They are licensed and insured and have been trained to meet our quality guidelines. We also offer a free job inspection after the work is complete for additional peace of mind. 

The EnergyRight Marketplace is your one-stop shop for energy efficient appliances, electronics and more.

We’ve done all the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is select the product you’re looking for — everything from televisions and thermostats to light bulbs and leaf blowers — and then start comparing! You can filter by brand, make or model and sort by price, energy efficiency score, customer ratings and more.

Never. It’s available to anyone to use and is here to help you find the best energy efficient products for your home and budget. 

As you review different products in the EnergyRight Marketplace, you’ll notice each product has an Enveree Score. This score compares the product’s energy efficiency to other available products so you can make the most energy efficient choice for your budget.

Check out all of our simple and affordable tips for improving your home’s energy efficiency.

If you’re looking for home energy upgrades that can really move the needle on your energy bills, consider:

• Updating your attic insulation.
• Air sealing your home.
• Repairing leaky ductwork.
• Repairing or replacing your HVAC system.
• Upgrading your water heater.
• Upgrading your refrigerator or other major appliances.
• Installing a smart thermostat.
• Installing new doors and windows.

Most of these energy efficiency upgrades are going to take some expertise. That’s why we created the Quality Contractor Network so that you can eliminate the guesswork when choosing a contractor to complete your home energy upgrades. Every member of the Quality Contractor Network has been vetted by TVA and your local power company, is licensed and insured, and is trained to meet TVA’s quality guidelines.

Check out more smart energy investments.

Find a contractor.

You don’t have to look far to find help answering your home energy questions. Try any one of these resources:

• Call or email TVA EnergyRight Customer Support at 1-844-372-6732 or support@mytva.com.
• Submit a question via the green Chat button or Customer Support tab at energyright.com/residential.

We love helping all ages learn about energy efficiency and how to practice more energy-saving behaviors! To start, make sure to order one of our free Eye Spy Energy Kits for kids. Each kit includes fun ways to learn about saving energy through EnergyRight Monsters-themed activity sheets, a game and stickers. We also have free coloring sheets available for download here.

For kids in grades K-4, we recommend our Eye Spy Energy Kids’ Workshop. These workshops are available to schools and classrooms for free so that students all across the Valley can get in on the energy-saving action! You can check out a preview of the workshop here. Don’t forget to share the workshop with the teachers in your life so they can request a workshop for their school or classrooms!

And for older students in grades 7-12, we offer our free Energy Evolution High School Workshop. This virtual and interactive workshop empowers high school students to reduce their environmental impact by becoming smarter energy consumers. Check out the workshop preview here. And make sure to share the workshop with the teachers in your life so they can request a workshop for their school or classrooms!