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Green Medford seeks to educate the Medford community to understand our environmental impact, and to empower members of our community to make more sustainable energy choices related to homes and businesses, transportation, and food.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Tired of Wasting Money on Home Energy Bills?

Stop wasting energy and money.

Sign Up for Your Free Home Energy Check now.


If you’re looking to cut back on your energy use and cost, the best way to start is by getting a free Home Energy Check. This will help you figure out the best ways to save energy, what rebates or incentives are available to you, and what the next steps are.

Am I eligible for a free home energy check?

If you haven’t had an energy assessment from Mass Save* within the last year, you are probably eligible. Both renters and owners are eligible for an assessment, but renters need their landlord’s permission before any major work is done.

What happens in the energy assessment?

The Energy Assessment usually consists of two visits. The screening visit will be used to identify saving opportunities and produce a plan of action for your home. The assessor will check things like your electric appliances, your heating and cooling equipment, and your water heater to figure out where energy is being wasted. The assessor may give you some instant savings measures, such as compact fluorescent lights to save electricity and efficient showerheads to save energy and water. The diagnostic visit includes a blower door test, which helps to identify air leaks in your home, and an infrared camera analysis, which locates parts of your home that may need additional insulation. Usually this visit also includes some free, cost-effective air sealing to help reduce drafts and heating costs.

After these two visits, you will already be saving energy! More importantly, however, you will receive a detailed report showing work done during these visits and a list of recommended actions. This list might include things like installing additional insulation, replacing a refrigerator, or tuning up your heating system. The report will also help you find additional rebates and incentives to make the recommended work even more affordable. This includes an instant rebate of up to $2,000 for recommended insulation and weatherization work, a federal tax credit of up to $500, and possibly other special offers. Following up on the recommended measures will reduce your energy use, and you will not waste as much money on electricity and heat.


How much can I save?

The short answer is, it depends. It depends on any steps you’ve already taken, and which of the recommended actions you undertake. At the end of the Energy Assessment, however, your report will include an estimate of how much energy and money each recommended measure might save you. Find out how much you might save signing up for the free energy assessment. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you can stop wasting energy and money.

What’s the hitch? Nothing’s free!

There is no hitch. Mass Save (http://www.masssave.com/residential/) is an initiative sponsored by the major gas and electric utility companies in Massachusetts to help you save energy. The Home Energy Assessment really is provided at no cost to you.

The Community Mobilization Campaign is a project of several community-based non-profit organizations in Massachusetts that are helping people to sign up for free energy assessments provided by Mass Save, and to take the recommended steps to waste less energy.

How do I sign up?

There are a few ways you can sign up for your free Home Energy Assessment:

You can sign up right now by filling out a quick form at this webpage: http://tinyurl.com/MCAN-HomeEnergyCheckSignup. Someone will get back to you within a week or so to schedule a home visit.

If you have questions, you can contact Green Medford at the contact information below. We are your neighbors, and we are hard at work helping our community to stop wasting energy and money. We are working on the Community Mobilization program, and we can help you sign up, or talk about questions you may have.

Contact Info for Green Medford:
Susan Altman
781-395-4664
781-526-4714 (cell)
susan.altman[at]comcast.net