Do “Zero Energy Homes” really save on energy costs?

Typically a “Net Zero Energy” home refers to a residence that utilizes onsite renewable energy generation, such as solar energy, to offset its energy use. The EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide simply recommends solar energy to help offset energy use. For homebuilders and homeowners interested in rooftop solar, EPB Energy Pros can consult with them to determine if a solar panel installation is the right option for a particular home and even review contractor estimates so they get the best solution. Or, customers may utilize EPB’s Solar Share community solar as a cost-effective and convenient way to utilize solar energy to offset the energy use they use without installing solar panels on a home.

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Yes. Low-watt LED light bulbs use 75% less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and last up to ten times longer. Installing them in just five of your most frequently used light fixtures can save over $65 a year in energy costs. And, turning off all unnecessary lights saves even more.

Yes. You will, of course, be responsible for all costs associated with any account under your name. If you have been an EPB Energy customer for 12 continuous months with a good payment record, deposits for additional accounts may be waived.

Please call (423) 648-1372 and an EPB representative will be happy to help you.

For those who own rental property, we offer a landlord agreement to keep power on in rental spaces between the time tenants move out and new tenants arrive. The agreement protects the rental property owner from disconnect and reconnect fees. When a tenant discontinues service, EPB automatically switches billing into the property owner's name unless a tenant is disconnected for non-payment of their bill, in which case the next tenant should be advised to contact EPB to have the electric power service switched to their name.

For more information or to sign up for this service, please email or call (423) 648-1372 to speak with a customer service representative.

You will receive emails for when your bills are due. They include the billing amount, due date and a link to paying them online. You can also access previous bills electronically. Make a one-time payment using a credit or debit card or pay by phone or in person or set up autopay for automatic monthly payment.

In the MyEPB online portal you can manage your account information, pay your bills, see your usage history and much, much more.

Log on to MyEPB.

Because of many factors, TVA’s power rates fluctuate. One factor is TVA’s total monthly fuel cost, which is a mechanism used to recover the cost of fuel (like coal and natural gas) needed to generate power. The total monthly fuel cost is also used to cover the cost of purchasing power outside the TVA service area.

Your security deposit – plus interest – may be refunded upon your request after 12 months of continuous service and a good payment record on residential accounts. If you disconnect your service before your deposit is refunded, the full amount of the deposit and any accrued interest will be applied toward your final bill. Any amount remaining will be refunded to you.

Yes. A letter of reference from your previous utility may serve in place of a security deposit. Letters must be printed on the utility’s letterhead, authorized by a company official, less than six months old and include a good record of payment for at least 12 months.  Also, a co-signer (or guarantor) who is an existing EPB Electric Power customer with a good payment record for at least 12 months may serve in place of a security deposit. The guarantor will be asked to sign an agreement that will remain in effect for one year.

If we do not receive payment by the 16th day after your billing date, a late fee will be added to your balance, and your account will be considered delinquent. The late fee is 5% on the first $250.00 of the amount owed, and 1% on the remaining balance above $250.00. A reminder notice will be mailed, indicating the amount of payment due. Payment must be received by EPB Electric Power within seven days of this reminder notice in order to avoid disconnection of your service. Please note that EPB Electric Power field representatives cannot accept payments. If you foresee difficulty in paying a bill, call us at (423) 648-1372 and we may be able to extend your payment deadline. In special circumstances, we may also be able to direct you to social service agencies for financial assistance.

If a check or any other payment is returned by your financial institution, we will charge a $30.00 fee for processing the returned payment and require repayment with cash, cashier’s check or money order. Any account with two or more returned payments in a 12-month period will be designated as a “cash only” account. All future payments will need to be made with cash, cashier’s check, money order, Visa, MasterCard or Discover.

If service is disconnected due to nonpayment, we require that all past due balances be paid as well as any reconnection fees and security deposits.

If you would like to dispute an EPB Electric Power bill that you think is in error, please contact us at (423) 648-1372. We will not disconnect service for nonpayment of the amount in dispute if you notify us before the bill is past due and you pay all undisputed charges before their due date.

By accepting electric service from EPB Energy, you agree to comply with all Rates, Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures that exist at the time service is started. This includes, but is not limited to, obligation to pay for any electric service provided to you by EPB Energy. Failure to abide by EPB Energy’s Rates, Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures may cause your electric service to be disconnected. You further agree to pay all expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, associated with the collection of any unpaid amounts for electric service received by you from EPB Energy. Your obligation upon acceptance of service from EPB Energy is subject to any future amendments or modifications to the Rates, Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures.

A usage anomaly alert will be sent when there is an unusual spike in your usage that does not appear to be related to the weather. In most cases, it will be identified within a few days of it first occurring. A bill threshold alert could occur due to weather (for example, an extremely cold month in the winter) and will typically only be triggered if aggregate usage is high over a longer time period (like weeks instead of days).

If you're planning a project that involves digging in your yard in Tennessee or Georgia, call your state's One Call System first to make sure that there are no buried power lines, gas lines, water lines or phone lines. It's a call that could help you avoid putting yourself and your family in danger, breaking the law and damaging lines. In Tennessee, call 1-800-351-1111. In Georgia, call 1-800-282-7411.

In areas where the crews must repair equipment manually, we concentrate our initial efforts on repairs that will restore power to the greatest number of people in the shortest period of time. We also place emphasis on vital community services such as hospitals, emergency services, and public safety. Please be patient, and we will restore your service as soon as we possibly can.

No. Your electricity cost is determined by your home or business’ power meter reading each month. If no power is being delivered to your address, like during an outage, your meter automatically stops until power is restored. When your meter isn’t running, there is no power use to bill during that period of time.

EPB's Automated Grid consists of thousands of computers, sensors and switches which capture and deliver information about power delivery over an 8,000-mile fiber optic network. This automated, self-healing system has the power to proactively identify potential issues and automatically reroute electricity around problem areas in a matter of seconds.

Learn more about the Automated Grid.

When power disruptions occur, EPB's Automated Grid jumps into action. Its automated, intuitive design monitors power delivery and reroutes it around problems areas in seconds when a problem is detected. You benefit from drastically reduced outages, maximum uptime and increased productivity.

Learn more about the Automated Grid.

First and foremost, the Automated Grid has avoided nearly 19 million outage minutes - so far. But in addition, the Automated Grid infrastructure serves as a basis for ongoing research into innovative power delivery, grid security and city research - just to name a few. We continue to work the the Department of Energy and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to discover ways this highly intelligent infrastructure can improve quality of life in our community and serve as a best-practice model for other communities.

Learn more about the Automated Grid.

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Yes. We maintain street lights for some of the municipalities we serve. Reporting broken street lights not only helps us perform this duty more efficiently, it also helps maintain safer streets in our community. To report a broken street light, contact us by online chat, email or phone anytime day or night.

To report a broken street light, contact us by online chat, email or phone anytime day or night.

Our current commercial energy rates can be found here. The current Total Monthly Fuel Cost Adjustment used to help determine your energy bills this month can be found by clicking here

The Total Monthly Fuel Cost Adjustment is determined by the cost of the natural gas, coal and other fuels used to generate your power. Because of frequent fluctuations in these fuels, TVA makes an adjustment to the “fuel cost” portion of your electric rate each month based on the current market price of these fuels.

The current Total Monthly Fuel Cost Adjustment used to help determine your energy bills this month can be found by clicking here.

To see our complete residential energy rates, click here. To see our complete commercial energy rates, click here.

Smart Net Plus for Business is intended for small businesses who subscribe to an EPB Fi-Speed Small Business internet tier, do not require more than 3 SSIDs and do not need outdoor access to their network. Customers receive one WiFi 6e router (with 3 ethernet LAN ports), and one additional access point (if necessary). Business customers with needs that go beyond those basic specs will find that EPB Hosted WiFi is a great solution for them. Our Hosted WiFi solution is a commercial-grade solution geared toward larger businesses that require specific reporting tools. Hosted WiFi provides anonymous aggregated data of foot traffic within your business, customized login/landing page for SSIDs (with your company brand), multiple SSIDs (network names private or public), greater coverage, and indoor and/or outdoor WiFi. Hosted WiFi also provides a private port on the server to hardwire your business network equipment.

EPB’s cost-effective recommendations include building materials such as advanced framing materials, certain doors & windows, and air filtration systems. The Guide also includes specific HVAC system recommendations, appliance specifications, lighting and air quality measures. Other tips address renewable energy readiness, including EV charging outlets and solar energy analysis and support. An EPB Energy Pro will be happy to answer any questions. You can schedule a free Energy Pro consultation by visiting epb.com/energypros or calling 423-648-1372.

Absolutely! EPB Energy Pros are standing by free of charge to consult with you on EPB Zero Energy recommendations, or anything energy related. To schedule a free EPB Energy Pro consultation, visit epb.com/energypros or call 423-648-1372.

As more and more homebuyers look for energy efficient homes, Zero Energy homes will give homebuilders and existing homeowners a sales advantage over traditionally-built homes. There are also tax incentives available to homebuilders for energy efficient homes built above and beyond EPB’s Zero Energy recommendations. The 2021 Energy Efficiency Tax Credit gives a $2,000 incentive to builders for each new home construction that meets a 50% energy efficient standard and $1,000 per manufactured home that meets a 30% energy efficient standard.

You can always follow these cost-effective recommendations to improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality in your home. EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide recommendations can be followed individually, when you renovate a home or as you make home improvements, or all at once during new home construction. EPB Energy Pros will be happy to help you every step of the way at no cost. To schedule a free EPB Energy Pros consultation, visit epb.com/energypros or call 423-648-1372.

Yes. EPB’s guidelines include Solar Analysis & Support to help customers offset their home’s energy use using renewable energy. Our recommendations may include leasing panels from EPB’s Solar Share program as a cost-effective way to utilize solar without having to install solar panels on their home. And, for homebuilders and homeowners interested in rooftop solar, EPB Energy Pros will consult with them to determine if a solar panel installation is the right option for a particular home and even review contractor estimates so they get the best solution.

Not at this time. While some of the EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide recommendations are similar to those of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program, they are not meant to satisfy certification requirements of that level. The EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide simply provides recommendations for building an efficient, healthy home as cost-effectively as possible based on best practices here in our own community. The DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements are significantly higher than our recommendations. Visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home-program to learn more.

No. Energy Star is a certification program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that EPB simply administers independent of the EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide. Energy Star has rigorous energy efficiency requirements to meet that are not part of this guide. The EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide is simply a list of recommendations based on cost-effective best practices for saving energy here in our community, and not part of any certification program.

No. Indoor airPlus is a third-party certification program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that ensures healthier indoor air quality by recommending certain building practices and product types. While some of the EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide recommendations are similar to those of the EPA Indoor airPlus program, they are not meant to satisfy certification requirements of any kind.

There are some recommendations in the EPB Zero Energy Resource Guide that are similar to the more comprehensive DOE Zero Energy Ready Home and EPA Indoor airPlus certification standards. However, EPB’s recommendations are not intended to meet the requirements of any certification program. They are simply cost-effective tips for building homes with increased energy efficiency and air quality based on best practices here in our community.

Only qualified contractors may receive 2021 Energy Efficiency Tax Credits.

Qualified contractors can receive a credit of $2,000 for a home that is certified to have an annual level of heating and cooling energy consumption at least 50% below that of a comparable home. It also must include building envelope component improvements that account for at least 1/5 of the 50% reduction in energy consumption.

Yes, they can. A manufactured home meeting the requirements described above and the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (FMHCSS) requirements is also eligible for the $2,000 credit. There is also an available credit of $1,000 for manufactured homes that don’t meet the 50% energy saving requirement, but are certified to have an annual level of heating and cooling energy consumption of at least 30%.

The home you build should meet the minimum requirements as outlined by the IRS here. An EPB Energy Pro will perform a site visit at your completed home to perform a HERS rating and then send the results off to a third-party certifier for verification. For a fee of $350, we’ll also provide you with this documentation to file with the IRS for the tax credit. You’ll need to complete the necessary forms and documentation and have your home certified.

Although we can’t provide an exact time for when your power will be restored after an outage, we can give you a reasonable estimate. You can report outages, view outage maps, get restoration estimates or updates and monitor repair progress here on our website or by downloading the free MyEPB app on the App Store or Google Play.

When storms damage our energy system, the EPB Smart Grid attempts to reroute power to affect fewer people. While it may not look like it makes sense, sometimes damage affects extremely specific areas and it’s not always obvious why the outage is occurring just from looking at the scene.

You can view local maps that are automatically updated in real-time and show you where the outages have occurred, how many households are affected and which areas are being restored, get restoration estimates or updates and monitor repair progress here on our website or by downloading the free MyEPB app to set outage alerts, report outages and view outage maps on the App Store or Google Play.

Unfortunately, lightning can sometimes strike and cause a surge that damages electrical systems. While we are unable to provide compensation for this type of event, we can help you find a surge protector that will keep your devices as safe as possible. Set up a 30-minute phone call with an EPB Energy Pro℠ for free, unbiased expert advice about surge protection, or watch this video to learn more.

Each outage is unique, but in general, our engineers and crews use well-established practices to put the safety and wellbeing of our community first. In addition to reviewing recommendations created by our Smart Grid, we send teams to assess the damage throughout our community and create an efficient plan that makes sense based on the difficulty of the repairs and what resources are available. We also consider which areas of the community are most at risk without access to electricity. For example, medical facilities tend to take priority over recreational facilities, and so forth. However, this is a complex issue that takes a lot of logistical calculations and considerations to tackle — and what matters most for us is taking care of our community.