About factivora.com
Factivora is an English-language publication that helps US households, owners and renters, use less energy at home, with free changes first and every figure sourced.
factivora.com is an English-language publication for households in the United States, owners and renters alike, about using less energy at home. We start where the bill starts: how many kWh you used, what each one cost and where they went.
One question per guide, answer first
Each guide answers one reader question, such as "Should I set back my heat pump at night?" or "What does this appliance cost me to run?", and states the answer in its first paragraph. The answer comes with its figure, the source that published it and that source's data year. A figure without its owner and year is not printed.
Free changes before purchases
Every guide says who it works for and what it costs. Renters mostly control the thermostat, their plug loads and removable fixes; owners can also change equipment and the building. So each guide is marked for renters, owners or both, and priced in three steps: free, a small buy or a bigger job. A purchase comes after the free change that precedes it.
Six parts of the house
- The bill: kWh, the rate and the end-use split, so you know what changed and where to start.
- Heating and cooling: thermostat settings for furnaces and heat pumps, fans, window air conditioners, ducts and space heaters.
- Seal and insulate: air leaks and insulation by climate zone, with renter-safe fixes and the combustion-safety line.
- Hot water: the water heater setting, the flow at the showerhead and when a heat pump water heater fits.
- Appliances: laundry, refrigerators and always-on electronics, in kWh and dollars.
- Help and incentives: state Home Energy Rebates, free weatherization and the credits that ended.
The licensed trade's job stays with the trade
Gas appliances, venting, electrical circuits, refrigerant and asbestos-suspect material are not do-it-yourself work. When a guide reaches one of them, it names the trade, such as a licensed electrician, a licensed plumber or gas fitter, or an HVAC contractor, and stops there.
Where the figures come from
We research from public sources we have opened, such as the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Department of Energy (DOE), ENERGY STAR, EPA WaterSense, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the IRS and state energy programs. Guides are written with AI assistance. Before publication, a second, independent AI review checks each guide against the sources it cites. We do not meter homes or test products; a worked example uses a published rating or rate and is labeled as an example. The editorial policy sets out the full process.
Funding
factivora.com may be funded by clearly labeled advertising. Advertisers have no say in which change a guide recommends or what it says that change saves.
Publisher and contact
The contact page names the company that operates factivora.com, and the copyright page covers copyrights and trademarks. Found an error, or have a question? Use the contact page.