In buildings with poor energy performance, we know utility bills are more expensive and the impact on the environment is undesirable. According to NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, over 70% of the city’s emissions are attributed to buildings, making them a prime target in strategies to curb global warming. However, the social impact on the people inside these buildings is often overlooked. Building occupants are subject to the systems put in place by property owners and managers. The result is a disconnect between stakeholders – either owners pass off inefficient utility costs to tenants, or they bundle utilities into rent and tenants care less if energy literally goes out the window. Many New Yorkers have normalized the phenomenon of opening windows during winter to regulate the temperature of a room. Energy benchmarking laws have begun to monitor buildings over 25 thousand sq. ft. in NYC, in addition to large properties in 40+ cities and 8 states across the USA (2023). Smaller buildings, without mandatory energy tracking, are being neglected in the transition to sustainability.