Did you know that October is Energy Awareness Month? While energy efficiency is important every day of the year, this month we celebrate the potential of energy efficiency and the positive impact that it has already had on our lives and our planet.
The first week of the month kicks off with Energy Efficiency Day on October 6th. Energy Efficiency Day is a collaborative effort between various U.S. organizations such as the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to recognize the many benefits of energy efficiency.
The message of Energy Efficiency Day is “Save Money. Cut Pollution. Create Jobs.” This simple yet relevant statement acknowledges the importance of energy efficiency and its impact at a variety of levels.
Since the first Energy Efficiency Day in 2016, this day continues to be centered around awareness of energy efficiency benefits and encouragement to participate how and when you can. It’s all about energy-conscious decisions for today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Did you know? (National Resources Defense Council)
- U.S. energy use has remained about the same today as it was in 2000, despite economic growth of about 30%
- Energy efficiency accounts for almost 2.4 million jobs, which is 5x more than oil and gas drilling and 30x more than coal mining
- Approximately one in six construction jobs in the U.S. is connected to energy efficiency
- Appliances that are more energy efficient save U.S. households an average of $500 per year on utility bills
- Residents of the 5 least energy-efficient states have seen their electric bills increase 2x as much as those in the 5 states leading in energy efficiency
- Energy efficiency can cut low-income household energy burden by 25%
- Widespread use of efficient appliances, lighting the energy-efficient way, and improvements like weatherization upgrades could cut 550 million metric tons of carbon pollution a year by 2050, which is equal to the emissions produced by Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Virginia, and California in 2016
- Cutting nationwide energy consumption by 15% for one year through energy efficiency efforts could help save six lives a day and avoid up to $20 billion of expenses due to health-related issues
- It is estimated that the Energy Star program has saved $430 billion on energy bills and reduced carbon pollution by 2.7 billion metric tons
- If just 1 in 10 households bought Energy Star-labeled heating and cooling equipment, we’d avoid pumping 13 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions into the environment each year, equivalent to the yearly tailpipe emissions of about 1.2 million cars
How can I be more energy efficient?
You may be wondering how you can participate in Energy Efficiency Day and make your wallet and planet greener during and beyond this month of awareness.
If you want to take measures at home to live more efficiently but you’re not sure where to start, a no-cost Mass Save® Home Energy Assessment is an easy way to learn what you can do.
If you are a Massachusetts homeowner or renter, a Home Energy Specialist will come out to your home at no-cost and give you energy efficiency recommendations that are custom to your home. You’ll learn how your home consumes and loses energy and where there are opportunities to save. You will receive a custom home energy report and when your assessment is finished, you get access no-cost items, plus rebates, discounts, and financing options to help you move forward with any upgrades that you choose.
You may be eligible for:
- Up to $2,750 in heating and cooling equipment rebates
- 75% or more off approved insulation upgrades
- 100% off air sealing
- 0% financing (up to $25,000 for 7 years) for energy efficiency improvements
- No-cost programmable thermostats, energy-saving showerheads, faucet aerators, and advanced power strips
To sign up for a Home Energy Assessment, at no-cost to you, sign up online here or call (781) 305-3319. Have a question about what an assessment is like? Click here to see answers to the questions that our specialists are most frequently asked.
At HomeWorks Energy, we help homeowners save energy and money every day. We have performed 137,000 Home Energy Assessments, completed almost 46,000 insulation upgrades, delivered 3.3 million no-cost energy-saving items, and saved 2.6 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Let’s celebrate the power of energy efficiency today but continue to look forward to how we can make an impact in the future. Together we can make a difference all year long.
For more energy saving tips, check out our blog here.
To learn more about Energy Efficiency Day, click here.
Resources:
NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/nrdc-and-energy-efficiency-building-clean-energy-future
NRDC: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/noah-horowitz/energy-star-delivers-big-america-why-put-it-risk
