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Energy.gov Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Residential Program Guide
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Financing – Develop Resources

Develop the procurement, outreach, and loan support resources required to perform your financing activities.
Handbook

Evaluation & Data Collection – Communicate Impacts

Communicate pertinent results of evaluations to program staff, partners, and stakeholders.
Handbook

Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development – Develop Resources

Develop workforce and contractor engagement procedures, forms, and materials
Handbook

Market Position & Business Model – Communicate Impacts

Publicize benefits and lessons learned resulting from your organization’s success in the market.
Handbook

Program Design & Customer Experience – Make Design Decisions

Solidify your program strategy and decide which customers you will focus on; what products, services, and support you will provide; and how you will partner with contractors and others to deliver services to your customers.
Handbook

Program Design & Customer Experience – Identify Partners

Establish relationships with organizations that can help deliver your program by enhancing your knowledge, resources, capabilities and access to customers and contractors.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Assess & Improve Processes

Monitor the effectiveness of marketing and outreach strategies and adapt as needed.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Communicate Impacts

Communicate marketing and outreach results internally and to partners.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Deliver Program

Implement marketing and outreach activities in coordination with other program components to generate demand for your program's services.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Develop Resources

Create your program's branding guidelines and materials to elevate program visibility and support your marketing and outreach efforts.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Develop Implementation Plans

Develop a marketing and outreach plan that details your strategies and tactics, workflows and timelines, staff roles and responsibilities, and budget.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Make Design Decisions

Decide on priority target audience segments, messages, and incentives that will motivate customers.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Assess the Market

Identify and prioritize potential target audiences based on their likely receptivity to your program's services.
Handbook

Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development – Assess the Market

Learn about the capabilities and services of existing contractors and training providers working in your market.
Handbook

Marketing & Outreach – Overview

Spur consumer demand for your program's services by understanding your target audience and motivating them to act using effective messaging, marketing and outreach tactics, and attractive program offers.
Handbook

Program Design & Customer Experience – Assess & Improve Processes

Improve your program’s efficiency and effectiveness through regular information collection, assessment, decision-making, adaptation, and communication.
Handbook

Program Design & Customer Experience – Develop Resources

Develop the necessary materials, tools, and staff capacity to effectively deliver and manage your program.
Handbook

Program Design & Customer Experience – Communicate Impacts

Develop a strategy for communicating program impacts and benefits to key audiences to create and sustain support and engagement.
Handbook

Program Design & Customer Experience – Deliver Program

Ensure a positive customer experience with your program from launch through implementation over time.
Handbook

Adapt your business model to fit your external environment

To develop a successful business model, Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners found it critical to have a strong understanding of the external environment within which they operated. This included who their customers were, who their competitors and partners were, what key policies governed...
Tips for Success

Contractors are your sales team – educate and empower them with the skills to sell home energy upgrades

Many home performance programs have confronted the challenge of how to reach out to more customers and to improve conversion rates of customer interest into completed upgrades. Realizing that the contractor is a primary face-to-face link between customers and the program, some Better Buildings...
Tips for Success

Good news is addictive – spread news about program accomplishments widely and often

Successful programs use many channels to communicate accomplishments and results to stakeholders. These include word of mouth and products such as press releases, announcements on websites, case studies, and presentations. Many programs use earned media—especially local media when possible—by giving...
Tips for Success

Measure and evaluate performance at key points in the process

Measuring performance at key points in the upgrade process (e.g., assessments, conversion rates, and financing applications) has helped programs understand where their processes are working smoothly and where they are not. This information has helped them continuously improve their program design...
Tips for Success

Develop partnerships based on an alignment of goals, strong collaboration, and consistent communication

Programs that have developed strong and lasting partnerships have done so by identifying shared goals and seeking ways in which programs and partners can mutually benefit by advancing each other's missions. Even if partners don’t have the same goals as your program, you can still try to find ways to...
Tips for Success

Keep the program simple for your customers

Given all of the other things that compete for your audience’s attention, it is critical that program participation steps are straightforward and easy to understand. Many programs have found that complexity makes it harder for interested homeowners to complete upgrade projects. These programs have...
Tips for Success

Speak about financing in ways that resonate with homeowners

Many programs struggle with communicating the value of financing to homeowners. Financing can be a complicated topic, and ensuring that homeowners understand how their loans work and the benefits they will realize is important for converting interest into action. Many Better Buildings Neighborhood...
Tips for Success

Communicate with audiences at least three times; once is not enough

All residential energy efficiency programs have found that outreach needs to be repeated to connect with and remind potential participants about program offerings. As marketing gurus note, the majority of people need to be exposed to a product message at least three times (on separate occasions) to...
Tips for Success

Adapt messages to your primary target audience’s needs

Many programs found that market research can help identify, segment, and characterize audiences to understand how to prioritize them. A comprehensive evaluation of over 140 programs across the United States found that programs had greater success when they identified specific target populations...
Tips for Success

Conduct one-on-one outreach where people gather and help them take action right away

Programs that conducted one-on-one outreach found that community events provided good opportunities for the program and its partners to connect and build credibility with potential customers. Particularly successful events were ones that attracted the program’s target audience and aligned with their...
Tips for Success

Language matters – use words that resonate with your target audience

Words have power, so many programs decided to use language with positive associations. For example, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program encouraged use of the term "assessment" instead of "audit" to avoid the negative connotation of a tax audit. "Home energy upgrade" sounds more positive than...
Tips for Success

Comfort and Safety: Family-Oriented Marketing

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2017

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on using tailored messaging and approaches to meet the unique needs of families. Building Doctors is the featured speaker.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Vinicius, Quatchi, and You: Using Power Words and Branding to Increase Interest and Participation (301)

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2016
Organizations or Programs
Puget Sound Energy

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on developing messaging and branding strategies.

Resource - Topical Presentations

He Said She Said: The Power of Messaging (101)

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2016

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on messaging strategies to capture the benefits of home upgrades and attract new customers to home performance.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Social Media and Messages that Matter: Top Tips and Tools

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2015
Organizations or Programs
CoMo Energy Challenge

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on the benefits, challenges, messaging and imagery of different social media campaigns.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Residential Energy Efficiency Messaging

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2015
Organizations or Programs
Enhabit

This summary from a Better Buildings Residential Network peer exchange call focused on effective messaging.

Resource - Topical Presentations

Messaging Strategies for Low-Income Participants

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2011

This peer exchange call summary focused on messaging and delivery strategies of those messages to low-income program participants. 

Resource - Topical Presentations

Message Map and Value Proposition Worksheet

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2011

The U.S. Department of Energy's Message Map and Value Proposition Worksheet is designed to help programs determine the key messages to best communicate to priority audiences.

Resource - Templates & Forms

How to Talk about Home Energy Upgrades

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
2017
This report summarizes the results of an experiment with nearly 2,000 American homeowners and explores the latest research on motivators and barriers to energy efficiency upgrade investments. The report reveals that financial motivators are part of the equation, but not the only part. The report delves into the art of message framing for home energy upgrades and includes several practical recommendations for assessors.
Resource - Publications

Marketing Message Testing for Super-Efficient Dryers

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date
2017
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California
This presentation covers details of an in-store market test for Super-Efficient Dryer (SED) marketing collateral. Five different marketing message concepts were created based on previous consumer research. The concepts include: an image, a headline of the key benefit, and a brief product description to drive credibility.
Resource - Publications

Energy Efficiency through Tenant Engagement: A Pilot Behavioral Program for Multifamily Buildings

Author(s)
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
Publication Date
2016
In 2014, ACEEE launched a pilot program to test a variety of behavioral strategies to promote energy efficiency among tenants in low- to moderate-income multifamily housing in Takoma Park, Maryland. The program included behavioral messaging, events, educational information, and the distribution of energy saving devices. ACEEE measured energy use in the months before and after the pilot. The white paper includes these results, insights for the development of future behavioral change programs, and recommended engagement strategies for targeted communities.
Resource - Publications

Marketing Message Testing for Super-Efficient Dryers

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date
2017
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California

This presentation covers details of an in-store market test for Super-Efficient Dryer (SED) marketing collateral. Five different marketing message concepts were created based on previous consumer research. The concepts include: an image, a headline of the key benefit, and a brief product description to drive credibility.

Resource - Publications

Making the Case: Winning Messaging for Energy Efficiency

Author(s)
Resource Media
Publication Date
2015

This publication draws on recent focus groups, polls, and other research to chart a path promoting energy efficiency through language and imagery in ways that tap public enthusiasm.

Resource - Publications

Effective Practices for Implementing Local Climate and Energy Programs: Effective Messaging

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
2015

This tip sheet from EPA's Climate Showcase Communities provides lessons from programs about strategies for effective messaging as well as recommended resources.

Resource - Publications

Effective Practices for Implementing Local Climate and Energy Programs Tip Sheets

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
2015

This series of 19 tip sheets is based on the experience and expertise of EPA’s Climate Showcase Communities. The tip sheets cover a wide range of topics, such as marketing and communications (effective messaging, traditional media strategies, community-based social marketing, and testimonial videos) and working with specific types of stakeholders (institutional partners, contractors, experts, utilities, early adopters, volunteers).

Resource - Publications

Consumer Messaging for Ductless Heat Pumps and Heat Pump Water Heaters

Author(s)
Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Publication Date
2015

This report shares the results of a research study conducted to understand the awareness and perceptions of potential consumers regarding ductless heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. The results were intended to help the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance improve messaging and marketing themes related to these products across the northwest region.

Resource - Publications

National Awareness of ENERGY STAR® for 2013

Author(s)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Publication Date
2013

This report provides the results of the Consortium for Energy Efficiency-sponsored 2013 ENERGY STAR Household Survey, which collects national data on consumer recognition, understanding, and purchasing influence of the ENERGY STAR label, as well as data on messaging and product purchases.

Resource - Publications

Better Buildings Neighborhood Program Branding Guide

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2011
This example guide was originally designed for grantees participating in U.S. DOE's Better Buildings program from 2010 - 2014 to ensure uniform, easily recognizable national identity of the Better Buildings brand. Pages 5-9 provide useful guidance for crafting messages. It also provides messaging examples.
Resource - Publications

Overview of Marketing Methods for Local Retrofit Programs

Author(s)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Publication Date
2011
Organizations or Programs
Cambridge Energy Alliance,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Neighborhood Energy Action Partnership,
WeatherizeDC
This report shares strategies for marketing local energy efficiency programs, particularly through focused messaging, leveraging partnerships, and social media.
Resource - Publications

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance Energy Forward Consumer Messaging Study

Author(s)
Opinion Dynamics Corporation
Publication Date
2014

This report presents findings from the Energy Forward Consumer Messaging Study. The purpose of this study is to assess
whether Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance can deploy the Energy Forward mark as a platform or parent brand for all of its
initiatives.

Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

Energy Efficiency Residential Marketing Keep it Simple. Keep it Focused.

Author(s)
Nancy L. Hohns, EnergyWorks
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
EnergyWorks
This presentation describes the brand, messaging strategy, and campaign tactics used by Philadelphia EnergyWorks to reach its target audience.
Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

Energy Upgrade California, Marketing and Sales Support

Author(s)
Energy Upgrade California
Publication Date
2011
Organizations or Programs
Energy Upgrade California
This Los Angeles County, California, presentation shares how to build broad, positive awareness of and support for programs; gain the tools and resources to align and coordinate marketing efforts; and increase flexibility and responsiveness in messaging and scope.
Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

March Energy Madness

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2017
Organizations or Programs
Denver Energy Challenge,
Efficiency Nova Scotia,
Energize Delaware,
Watt Watchers,
Empower Chattanooga,
Energy Upgrade California

This presentation includes examples of 16 programs' creative marketing materials.  The Better Buildings Residential Network held a March Madness tournament to find the most creative residential energy efficiency messages during March Peer Exchange Calls. Sixteen marketing campaigns were featured in a bracket challenge on the calls, and participants made their picks. Residential Network member the Fuel Fund of Maryland was chosen as the winning message for its Watt Watchers campaign.

Resource - Program Materials

EnergySmart 2014 Marketing Plan and Implementation Guide

Author(s)
EnergySmart
Publication Date
2014
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart Colorado

This marketing plan describes a social mobilization approach that leverages social networking, including social media, and word-of-mouth marketing to raise awareness and drive customers to program services. It provides strategies and tactics to target audiences most likely to participate, building on market research and audience segmentation to develop a message platform specifically designed to address their key motivating factors and barriers.

Resource - Program Materials

Messaging to Motivate

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton
In this video interview segment, Yvonne Kraus of Conservation Services Group in Bainbridge Island, Washington, discusses why the RePower program created multiple branding and messaging themes.
Resource - Case Studies

Messaging to Motivate

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012

In this video interview segment, Yvonne Kraus of Conservation Services Group in Bainbridge Island, Washington,  discusses why the RePower program created multiple branding and messaging themes.

Resource - Case Studies

Testing Program Messages

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2013
Organizations or Programs
Energy Impact Illinois
Energy Impact Illinois (EI2) conducted 1,600 phone surveys of mid- to high-income households. Its aim was to test program messaging and gauge attitudes toward home improvements and energy efficiency upgrades. The surveys provided a number of insights on the target audience's decision process.
Resource - Case Studies

Content Type

  • Resource (26)
  • Handbook (19)
  • Tips for Success (11)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Market Position & Business Model (4)
  • Program Design & Customer Experience (13)
  • Evaluation & Data Collection (4)
  • Marketing & Outreach (39)
  • Financing (4)
  • Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development (3)

Program Design Phases

  • Overview (8)
  • Strategy Development (24)
  • Planning (24)
  • Implementation (22)
  • Evaluation (18)

States or Territories

  • Alaska (1)
  • Arizona (1)
  • California (8)
  • Colorado (6)
  • Connecticut (3)
  • Delaware (1)
  • Florida (2)
  • Illinois (1)
  • Kansas (1)
  • Louisiana (2)
  • Maine (1)
  • Maryland (2)
  • Michigan (1)
  • Missouri (2)
  • New Hampshire (1)
  • New York (2)
  • Nova Scotia (1)
  • Oregon (3)
  • Pennsylvania (5)
  • Washington (5)

Organizations or Programs

  • Energy Upgrade California (5)
  • EnergyWorks (4)
  • Enhabit (4)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (3)
  • EnergySmart (3)
  • RePower Bainbridge (3)
  • NOLA WISE (2)
  • RePower Bremerton (2)
  • Better Buildings Program San Jose (1)
  • Cambridge Energy Alliance (1)
  • Community Power Works (1)
  • CoMo Energy Challenge (1)
  • Denver Energy Challenge (1)
  • Efficiency Maine (1)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (1)
  • Empower Chattanooga (1)
  • Energize Bedford (1)
  • Energize Delaware (1)
  • Energize Phoenix (1)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (1)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (1)
  • Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) (1)
  • Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (1)
  • Michigan Saves (1)
  • Neighborhood Energy Action Partnership (1)
  • New Hampshire Better Buildings (1)
  • Puget Sound Energy (1)
  • RePower Kitsap (1)
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Neighborhood Program (1)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (1)
  • Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) (1)
  • Watt Watchers (1)
  • WeatherizeDC (1)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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