ENERGY EFFICIENCY

ENERGY SAVING STRATEGIES

ENERGY EFFICIENCY RESOURCES

Booklet: "What You Need to Know About Your Heating Sysyem"

Energy Efficiency

Our mission is to make energy more affordable and environmentally sustainable. Energy efficiency is a key component of all of our programs.

We encourage our heating oil members to perform regular system tune-ups to make their heating systems run more smoothly, and if itâs time to purchase a new heating system, we recommend choosing a system that is Energy Star rated.

We encourage those who are considering installing solar electricity or solar hot water systems to make sure they are already using energy efficient lighting and appliances, and low-flow faucets so they can get the most out of their solar energy investment.

And we encourage everyone to install energy efficient lighting and appliances so that they can invest their savings into the purchase of green electricity. Customers can offset the additional cost for New England GreenStartSM by implementing cost-saving energy efficiency measures in their homes, such as those described below.

Why make your home more energy efficient?

• Lower Energy Bills! The typical U.S. family spends almost $1,300 annually on home utility bills. Much of that energy is wasted. Your energy bills can be cut by 10-50% through a few inexpensive energy-efficient measures.
• Less Pollution! Electricity generation is the number one source of industrial air pollution in the country. Furthermore, the extraction and transport of coal and oil result in harmful environmental impacts, and our dependence on foreign oil leads to geopolitical conflicts. For more information on the environmental impacts of electricity generation, click here.
• More Comfortable! By looking at how the various components of your house work together as a system and taking a whole-house approach to energy efficiency, you can eliminate drafts, make your energy systems more responsive to your needs, and avoid unhealthy moisture problems.

Why are your energy bills so high?

Some of the biggest sources of energy inefficiency in the home are

• Leaky windows and doors   (Click here for some strategies)
• Un-insulated roofs and exterior walls   (Click here for some strategies)
• Old, inefficient appliances, particularly refrigerators and dehumidifiers
• Incandescent and halogen lighting   (Click here for some strategies)
• Leaving lights, computers, and other appliances on unnecessarily
• Heat is turned up too high or Air Conditioning is turned too low.

What Can you do to Save Energy?
Click here to read more.