Commonwealth Edison is sending out reports comparing your home’s energy usage with that of your neighbors.

In our oak-hickory forest (with a maple and ash to boot) shaded stucco home, which rarely needs air conditioning, our home comes out “good.”

Our electric usage is less than average in our neighborhood.

The line on the graph for our home is brown (at least I think it is brown). In any event, ours is the line in the middle.
Com Ed also shows the usage of what it calls the most “efficient neighbors.” That term is defined as the “most efficient 20 percent” among 100 occupied homes within 0.15 miles.

In a neighborhood with widely different sized homes, I figure that means virtually nothing. In a tract subdivision, it would mean much more.

Everything Com Ed advises, we already do:

• Set your thermostat for comfort and savings.
• Install a ceiling fan.
• Upgrade your central air conditioner.

We do better than upgrading our air conditioner. We rarely use it at all.