New Year, New Savings: How City Light Can Help You Cut Costs in 2026

January is often a time for setting goals. While some resolutions can be tough to stick to, saving energy is a goal that pays off all year long.

Whether you are managing a household or running a business, energy efficiency is one of the best investments you can make this year. It lowers your monthly bills, increases comfort, and contributes to a sustainable future for our beautiful region.

Let’s turn your resolution into reality with the programs, incentives, and expert advice you need to meet your goals!

For Residential Customers: Comfort Meets Savings

Making your home more energy-efficient doesn’t always require major renovation. Often, small changes lead to significant savings.

Here are two impactful ways to lower your residential energy bill in 2026.

1. Find and fix drafts and leaks

Winter in the Pacific Northwest can be chilly. If you are cranking up the heat but still feeling a draft, your home might be losing energy through air leaks. Common culprits include gaps around windows, doors, and attic hatches.

Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal these leaks. It is an inexpensive weekend project that helps keep the warm air in and the cold air out. For older homes with poor insulation, consider an upgrade. Proper insulation in your attic, walls, and floors can significantly reduce your heating costs.

If you live in Seattle, the HomeWise Weatherization Program offers free energy-efficiency improvements to income-qualified households. HomeWise services include insulation, duct sealing, heat pump installation, and appliance upgrades, with eligibility based on income and home location.

2. Get smart with your thermostat

Heating is typically the largest energy expense in the homes in our area. A smart thermostat takes the guesswork out of climate control. These devices learn your schedule and adjust the temperature automatically, ensuring you aren’t heating an empty house. By optimizing your heating schedule, you can save roughly 10% annually on heating and cooling costs.

We are offering a $50 instant rebate on smart thermostats for electric baseboard heaters, fan-forced wall heaters, and more. These thermostats let you manage your home’s heating from anywhere, helping you heat only when needed and reduce electricity costs.

For Business Customers: Boost Your Bottom Line

Whether you run a small grocery store, a large healthcare facility, or an office building, our programs are designed to fit your unique needs. Let’s work together to help you reduce expenses while improving your building’s performance.

1. Instant Discounts for Immediate Impact

You don’t always need a complex application process to save. Our Lighting to Go and HVAC+ programs offer instant discounts at participating distributors.

If you need to replace fluorescent tubes with LEDs or upgrade a rooftop HVAC unit, simply buy qualifying equipment from a participating vendor. The discount is applied automatically at the point of purchase. There is no paperwork and no waiting period—just immediate savings on high-performance equipment.

2. Performance-Based Incentives

For those looking to take a holistic approach, our performance-based programs reward you for verified energy savings over time.

• Existing Building Commissioning (EBCx): This involves “tuning up” your building’s existing systems to ensure they run as efficiently as possible. It is a great way to improve occupant comfort and reduce waste without buying all new equipment.

• Pay for Performance (P4P): This program pays incentives for total energy saved at the meter over several years, giving you the flexibility to combine capital upgrades with operational changes.

3. Existing Equipment Incentives

If you have an existing piece of equipment or building system nearing end of life or with opportunities to be more efficient, please connect with our energy advisors to help identify how we could help fund this replacement or enhancement.

How to Get Started

The best time to start saving energy was yesterday. The second-best time is today. We have made the process simple for both homes and businesses.

If you are a residential customer:

1. Assess your home’s needs: Walk through your house and check for drafts, old bulbs, and electronics that stay plugged in when not in use (“energy vampires”).

2. Visit our website: Browse our home energy solutions page to see a current list of instant discounts and rebates for appliances, heating/cooling systems, and smart thermostats.

3. Stay connected: Follow our blog for seasonal tips that help you stay efficient through the gray Seattle winter and into the sunny summer.

If you are a business customer:

1. Consider an energy assessment: If your business has or is planning to conduct an energy assessment, we can help use that information to develop a priority list for low-cost improvements.

2. Visit our website: Browse our business solutions page to see a current list of instant discounts and rebates for appliances and heating solutions.

3. Contact an Energy Advisor: If you are planning a project, reach out to us early. We can help you navigate the different program pathways to maximize your funding. You can reach us at (206) 684-3800 or SCLEnergyAdvisor@seattle.gov.

We’re here to power your future!

When you invest in energy efficiency, you are saving money and helping our region achieve its climate goals.

This year, make a resolution that benefits your wallet and your community. Whether you are adding caulking to a window or retrofitting an entire HVAC system at the office, City Light is here to help you every step of the way.

Here’s to a bright, efficient, and prosperous 2026!