When Raj Uprety wanted to understand the reason behind his higher summer electric bill at the two-bedroom townhouse that he rents near the University of Arizona, he sought free expert advice from TEP.

Through the Free Virtual Home Assessment program, Uprety and his roommate, Saddam Ali, learned about low-cost, simple upgrades that they could do themselves, costing just around $30.

The UA senior, studying business administration, said his home is now a more comfortable temperature, noting he found the assessment “easy, fast, efficient and effective.”

The TEP program allows residential customers to schedule a virtual walk-through of their homes to assess energy-saving opportunities and potential rebates. The solutions can be low cost and simple or bigger projects, such as rebates for HVAC replacements.

After receiving his summer bill, Uprety combed through TEP’s website and found out about the assessment option. “Our building is quite old. I came to the realization that we might be using incredibly inefficient systems,” Uprety said.

In late November 2024, Uprety joined TEP contractor Ian Adrian, from Franklin Energy, for a Microsoft Teams call and walked him through the two-bedroom unit. Adrian pulled together an “excellent shopping list,” Uprety said, and the roommates purchased items from Amazon, Walmart and Ace Hardware for some do-it-yourself projects.

The two filled gaps in doors and windows with sealant, added foam support to plumbing and insulated the water heater over the course of a few weekends.

He’s hoping that the small changes will make a big impact on his bills this summer, as he plans to stay in the home for a few years.

“I’m very, very thankful for the amount of flexibility that was provided. It was very informative, very efficient, and just really good,” Uprety said, adding he also recommended the assessment program to neighbors.

Learn more about our Efficient Home Program and sign up for Free Virtual Home Assessment.