Post Content
Marc Breslow
Director of Transportation and Buildings Policy, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Heating bills too high? You can change that. Whatever your fuel source – gas, oil, electricity, or propane – the utilities will do a free energy assessment of your home, and will provide generous rebates (up to 75 percent of the cost) for many energy-saving improvements that can cut your bills by a third or more. To find out about home assessments and rebates go to www.MassSave.com or call 1-866-527-7283. There are also small, inexpensive steps you can take on your own that will cut costs significantly. What are the main things that can be done to cut fuel bills?
Use only the heat you need – why heat the air when you’re not home? With an old-fashioned thermostat you can turn it down when you leave. Better are programmable thermostats that let you set times when the heat is automatically turned down and then back up again before you come home.
Plug leaks – there’s not much point heating up the air in your home just to let it leak out through attics, basements, walls, windows, and doors. Yet that’s exactly what happens in most homes, and can account for a third or more of your heating costs. If you get a home assessment the utilities will do air sealing for free.
Insulate – heat also escapes through solid materials – ceiling, roof, walls, floors, windows, heating pipes. All these should be insulated, using fiberglass, cellulose (shredded newspaper), or foam. Outside walls can usually be insulated without disturbing your finished walls, by removing pieces of exterior siding and blowing cellulose into the walls. The utilities will pay 75 percent of the cost for insulation, up to $2,000 per home.
Maintain or replace heating system – heating systems must be maintained regularly to run well, especially if you use oil. Even so, systems that are 20 or 30 years old or older could be running at perhaps 70 percent efficiency, compared to the best new gas systems running at 94 percent. That means you can cut your bills one-quarter by replacing the system.
A home energy assessment takes two or three hours, after which you will get a report recommending what you can do to cut your bills, how much it will cost, and how much you can save each year. So go to MassSave.com now.
Next time: do-it-yourself steps to cut your bills.
Recent Posts
Summer’s Here: Shed Layers and Shed Loads posted on Jul 11
Electricity usage throughout New England reaches its peak during summer heat waves, causing our electricity bills to spike. During periods of high demand, electric utilities typically call on more expensive “peaking” plants to provide extra power. These costs are passed onto larger, non-residential consumers through demand charges on their monthly electricity bill. Municipal buildings can save a significant sum of money if they shut off portions of their electricity during these peak periods.
Massachusetts Rebates Supercharge Electric Vehicle Market posted on Jul 7
The MOR-EV initiative provides rebates of up to $2,500 for electric, fuel cell vehicles and plug-in vehicles with large batteries, and $1,500 for plug-in electric vehicles with smaller batteries. All Massachusetts residents are eligible to receive incentives on purchased and leased new electric vehicles until the rebate funds are gone.
Community Adoption of Energy Efficient Building Codes Stretches to 143 posted on Jul 2
Eight more municipalities (Dalton, Goshen, Halifax, Holliston, Upton, Wellfleet, Lanesborough, and Stoughton) recently adopted the Stretch Energy Code, criterion five for Green Community designation, and will now work to ensure that new construction and major renovations are more energy efficient. With these additions, the total number of participating municipalities has reached 143.
2010