Big Blue Group on the Road to Cutting Energy Costs

This article is courtesy of Town Planner Peter Kane.

Nearly three months since launching the program, the Swampscott Renewable Energy Committee (REC) is helping residents to reduce their home energy bills. The Big Blue Energy Initiative (http://www.BigBlueEnergy.org) was created to build on the Town’s “Green Community” designation and help residents become more sustainable at home.

The first phase of the initiative is to perform outreach and education to residents and business owners about the potential of energy reduction within their homes and businesses.

The REC’s first partner in the initiative, Next Step Living (NSL), has been leading the effort to sign up residents for no-cost home energy audits. You may have seen representatives from NSL at the Farmers’ Market or in the public library. NSL and the REC also held a Mass Save 101 Workshop at the Senior Center on Oct. 22 which inspired a number of people to sign up for home energy assessments.

In the first two months of the Big Blue Energy Initiative, there have been 28 households in town that have signed up for an energy audit. This is great news because one of the goals of the Big Blue Energy Initiative is to have 200 assessments completed within a year.

The no-cost home energy audits are offered as part of the Mass Save state-wide, rate-payer funded program (http://www.MassSave.com). The home energy audits are an excellent way for home owners to not only learn where they can make cost-saving updates to their homes, but also provide information about state and federal incentive programs to reduce the cost to make those updates. Some items like attic insulation and air sealing can be provided at little to no cost.

If you’d like to learn more about the Mass Save program and what to expect during a home energy audit, be sure to come to the next Mass Save Workshop – Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, starting at 6 pm in the main meeting room of the Swampscott Public Library.

You can also sign up for an assessment by visiting the Big Blue Energy Initiative website (http://www.BigBlueEnergy.org).

The Big Blue Energy Initiative gained an additional partner this past month. Swampscott was one of only two Massachusetts communities to be chosen as a municipal partner in the National Grid 2012-2013 Community

Initiative. Starting in 2013, the REC will work with National Grid to not only expand the home energy assessment program with Next Step Living but also encourage residents to look at updating their heating or hot water systems as well as replace any inefficient refrigerators.

As a participant in the National Grid program, the REC has the ability to receive a reward from National Grid for the various energy efficiency projects completed by residents which the REC may then use for their next sustainability project for the town.

Be sure to check out the Big Blue Energy Initiative website (http://www.BigBlueEnergy.org) for more updates and information in the coming months. And join the REC for a presentation by Next Step Living on Jan.  23rd at the public library.