No one wants a new power plant built anywhere near them. And no advocate of sustainability wants new power plants to be needed at all. Thanks to a forward-looking program called “Mass Save” residents can save money and help eliminate any need for additional power plants in the region.
The Mass Save program provides a free audit of your home to determine ways to save on electricity and heat. Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs are provided free of charge as part of the audit. These bulbs are worth over $10 each, so this is no small thing. As part of my family’s recent audit, we were provided several hundred dollars worth of these bulbs at no charge. They perform beautifully and will last longer than conventional bulbs. The impact on the electric bill is about $20/month, and the savings will be larger when winter comes and the lights are on for a longer part of the day.
Insulation is inspected and if deficient a proposal will be created that you can implement (part or all) if you wish; the Mass Save program will generally pay 75% of the cost or more. Cracks and holes that leak heat can be identified and sealed to make your home less drafty and more energy efficient. Our home is relatively new and the insulation was deemed OK, but there were several cracks and holes that needed to be filled. A crew of three came out for several hours and tightened them up with insulation. The net charge to us: $0.
How is all this possible? Well, there’s a small surcharge on your utility bills that pays for this program. It saves everyone money, not just directly by keeping the cost of energy more reasonable but also indirectly by eliminating all the health costs and other environmental costs of those new power plants that don’t have to be built. But you can maximize your personal savings by calling Mass Save to arrange an energy audit at 1-866-527-7283.
A related program for saving energy is the GasNetworks rebate program for new energy efficient water heater installation. Using this rebate program, we recently installed an energy efficient tankless water heater that takes less space and is less expensive to run, for the same net cost as a conventional water heater. The positive impact on the monthly gas bill has been immediate, and the unit is under warranty for twice as long as a conventional water heater. Worth looking into, especially if your water heater needs replacement!
Mass Save® Home Energy Services Program - No Cost Assessment 
This provides eligible Massachusetts home owners and renters:
Please visit http://www.masssave.com for complete details. |
Yours truly,
Roland Van Liew