Home and business sustainability
Lower utility bills and a greener home, starting with small changes
Show me your space and your utility bills on a video call. I’ll tell you where your money is going and what to change first. It works whether you own or rent, anywhere in the U.S.
Who I help
Homeowners and renters
Habits, upgrades and yard changes that cut your utility bills, including changes renters can make without a landlord’s OK.
Business owners and tenants
Lower utility costs for your building, and simple changes your team will actually keep doing.
Property managers and HOAs
Plans for many units at once, plant lists that fit your area, and help getting projects approved.
Builders and new homes
Green upgrades chosen before the walls close, ranked by cost and long-term savings.
How it works
1. A free 20-minute call
Tell me what's bothering you (high utility bills, a hot room, a thirsty yard), and we'll pick the right service together.
2. Send what your service needs
For a Utility Bill Check, that’s just your last 12 months of utility bills. For the Snapshot and up, you also send a short walkthrough video from your phone and a questionnaire.
3. Get your report
After payment, the Utility Bill Check and the Snapshot arrive within 48 hours. Bigger plans come on a date we agree on the call. If you want help carrying out the plan, the Implementation Partnership picks up from there.
Services starting at $100
Utility Bill Check
$100
A one-page summary of your utility bills (electric and water).
- Your electric and water use, month by month, for the past year
- How you compare to a typical home your size
- Your three biggest money leaks
- What to look at first
- The $100 counts toward a Snapshot if you upgrade within 30 days
Snapshot Assessment
$299
A short written report (3 to 4 pages) based on your video walkthrough and 12 months of utility bills.
- What I saw in your space, room by room
- A quick-win checklist you can do yourself
- Estimated cost and savings for each action
Comprehensive Plan
$850
A full written plan for your whole home or building.
- Everything in the Snapshot
- A review of your energy, water and waste use, from your utility bills and walkthrough
- Every upgrade ranked by how fast it pays for itself
- Contractors I trust for each upgrade, and a certified energy auditor if your home needs testing
- A follow-up call to go over your plan
Implementation Partnership
$2,400 for 3 months
Your plan, plus my help while you make the changes.
- Everything in the Comprehensive Plan
- Contractor bids gathered and compared for you
- Check-ins while the work gets done
- A before-and-after savings report at the end
For organizations
Property managers, realtors and business owners
Custom quote
For homes for sale or rent, apartments, offices and shops.
- Energy, water and cooling upgrades ranked by payback
- Lower utility costs for common areas and vacant units
- Simple tips for tenants and staff that cut bills without work orders
- A one-page utility summary your buyers and renters can take home
- Landscaping that survives the heat with less water
HOA management companies and boards
Custom quote
Help that makes your committees’ work easier.
- Plant lists updated to what actually grows in your area
- Workshops for boards and residents on getting projects approved
- Clear summaries of home batteries, EV chargers and solar for review
- Support packets for homeowner variance requests: research, site plan and plant survival
Builders and new homes
Custom quote
Advice before the walls close, for builders and for families building their own home.
- A review of your plans and specs
- Green upgrades ranked by cost and long-term savings
- Features buyers notice: lower bills, comfort and storm readiness
- Advice for model homes and whole neighborhoods
Every organization is different, so every quote is custom. Start with a free 20-minute call.
The kind of changes we'll look at
Habits
Free routines, like using ceiling fans so you can set the thermostat a few degrees higher.
Smart switches and plugs
Stop paying for things that are “off” but still drawing power.
Shades and windows
Keep summer heat out and winter heat in, with options renters can use.
Water
Find leaks and water the yard at the right time, the right way.
Pools and spas
Pump schedules, heaters and covers that cut energy, water and chemical costs.
Plants and gardens
Native plants outside, a small food garden, and indoor plants that make a space feel good.
What research shows
About $691 a year saved with solar
A study of about 420,000 U.S. homes with rooftop solar estimated average savings of about $691 a year, even after loan or lease payments.
Forrester and others (2024), Nature Communications.
48% less drinking water
Collecting rainwater and reusing water from sinks and showers could cut drinking-water use by 48% at a university campus in Monterrey, Mexico, a dry climate much like Texas.
López Zavala and others (2016), Water.
30% less energy for cooling
Two homes cut the energy used for air conditioning by about 30% after shade trees were placed around them. On the hottest afternoons, power use dropped 27 to 42%.
Akbari and others (1997), Energy and Buildings.
Up to 61% less pump energy, 95% less evaporation
The pump is often the biggest electricity user in a home with a pool, about 4,200 kWh a year in Florida homes. A variable-speed drive cut pump energy by 40 to 61%. A bubble cover stops about 95% of evaporation.
Hameiri and others (2009), Renewable Energy; Parker (2003), Energy and Buildings; Waché and others (2020), Solar Energy.
5 to 10% less energy from habits
Households that get regular feedback on their energy use typically cut it by 5 to 10%, at almost no cost. Feedback several times a week worked best.
Zangheri, Serrenho and Bertoldi (2019), Energies, a review of 114 programs.
Up to 6% less for the biggest users
Homes that got letters comparing their electricity use with their neighbors’ used 2% less on average. The homes that used the most cut back about 6%.
Allcott (2011), Journal of Public Economics, about 600,000 U.S. households.
Your own numbers show which of these fits your home or building best. That’s why every service starts with 12 months of your utility bills.
These are published, peer-reviewed studies, summarized in plain words. They are not Msquare client results.
About me
I’m Melissa Paola Mezzari. I have a PhD in Environmental Engineering and more than 20 years of work in research, teaching and project management.
I started Msquare to put that science to practical use: helping people spend less on energy and water, starting with the home or building they already have. I rent my own home, so I know what it’s like to want a greener life when you can’t knock down a wall.
Why work with me
Plain English
A scientist's eye, without the jargon.
Advice, not a sales pitch
I don't take referral fees from contractors. My job is to tell you what makes sense for your space.
Online, so it's faster
No waiting for a home visit. We start as soon as you send what your service needs.
Not ready to book? Send me a note
Ask a question or tell me about your space, and I’ll get back to you.
Or email me directly at mmezzari@msquareenv.com
Start with a free call
In 20 minutes you’ll know whether I can help and what to do first.