Make your home more energy efficient this summer!

Guest post from Cape Light Compact: Every day, people are making their homes more energy efficient! No, they’re not putting solar panels up on their roofs or suddenly going off the grid. They’re doing simple projects that create more energy efficient homes. This helps the environment and saves them money every year.  What kinds of projects are they doing? Everything from sealing air leaks, planting trees to shade their homes, installing ceiling fans, replacing entire HVAC systems, and insulating their homes. Simple changes save on energy bills every summer.

Here are some projects you can do for relatively short money that deliver big results:

1)    Keep your window coverings closed during peak hours. This reduces the heat in your home and cuts back on how often your air conditioning runs. In the winter, do the opposite.

2)    Ceiling fans have great long-term returns for energy efficiency and on your electric bills. They help circulate cooler air through the house, easing the load on AC units, and require very little energy to operate.

3)    Arrange your furniture to allow for six inches of clearance around all vents. This allows air to circulate more freely and efficiently.

4)    Schedule a FREE home energy assessment with Cape Light Compact. This assessment is available to all 21 towns on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard to assess the best initiatives to reduce energy consumption. Each assessment includes free CFL lighting for your entire home and the creation of an energy efficiency roadmap.  It also details the incentives and rebates that the Compact offers. To schedule your assessment, call 1-800-797-6699.

Benefits of a home energy assessment include:

• FREE high efficiency lighting
• FREE air leak sealing
• Weatherization incentives
• Rebate toward refrigerator replacement (if existing model is inefficient)

When planning energy efficient projects around the house, it’s important to remember your return on investment (ROI). While big projects like replacing windows might seem appealing and tempting, often smaller projects like blowing in insulation have a better ROI. Making sure that your home is tight (but safe) is the most cost effective way to help eliminate extra spending on your energy bills. Other small things – like changing filters, vacuuming the coils on your refrigerator and unplugging electronics (DVD players, microwaves, coffee makers), have noticeable savings every month.

Have more energy efficiency questions? Follow Cape Light Compact on Twitter @CapeLightEnergy, become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/capelightenergy, or visit our website www.capelightcompact.org.

About Cape Light Compact: Cape Light Compact is an intergovernmental organization consisting of the 21 towns and two counties on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.  The Compact’s mission is to serve our 200,000 customers through the delivery of proven energy efficiency programs, effective consumer advocacy, competitive electricity supply, and green power options.  For more information, visit www.capelightcompact.org or call 1-800-797-6699.

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