EnergyRight DIY workshops

Starkville Utilities is pitching free one-hour EnergyRight workshops that show homeowners how to make simple do-it-yourself changes that can lower power bills. (starkvilleutilities.com) The utility says the sessions cover weatherstripping, insulation, heating and cooling system maintenance, smart lighting choices and water-heater settings. Starkville Utilities offers the workshops through its partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority’s EnergyRight program. (starkvilleutilities.com; tva.com) A March 26, 2025 notice from Starkville Utilities listed four free workshops on April 8, 2025, at the GTPD and AARP Senior Group, Starkville Sportsplex Annex and Episcopal Church. The utility said attendees would receive free energy starter kits valued at $40. (starkvilleutilities.com) An October 3, 2025 notice used the same format for seasonal classes and said the workshops teach money-saving practices on insulation, heating and cooling upkeep and lighting management. That notice also said participants would get $40 starter kits. (starkvilleutilities.com) The program is part of a broader Tennessee Valley Authority push to cut home energy use with no-cost and low-cost fixes people can do themselves. Tennessee Valley Authority says its EnergyRight workshops are organized with local power companies across its seven-state service area. (energyright.com; tva.com) Starkville Utilities serves nearly 13,300 business and residential customers in Starkville and at Mississippi State University, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s local power company profile. The Tennessee Valley Authority says it serves more than 10 million people in the region as the country’s largest public power provider. (tva.com; tva.com) The utility has been running versions of these workshops for several years and has tied them to measured savings. In an October 12, 2023 release, Starkville Utilities said residents who attended workshops the prior year saved 12,586 kilowatt-hours of electricity. (starkvilleutilities.com) Starkville Utilities also said in April 2024 that nearly 400 people attended its fall 2023 workshops, prompting it to schedule more sessions. In an April 4, 2023 release, the utility said its 2022 workshops helped customers save 4,495 kilowatt-hours and said EnergyRight workshops across the Tennessee Valley Authority region cut 68 tons of carbon emissions that year. (starkvilleutilities.com; starkvilleutilities.com) For homeowners, the pitch is practical: spend an hour learning where air leaks, old bulbs and neglected heating and cooling equipment waste electricity, then use a starter kit to begin fixing some of it at home. Starkville Utilities says the goal is to send customers home with steps they can use right away. (starkvilleutilities.com; starkvilleutilities.com)