Saving energy is best route to independence

RELEASE: Oct. 31, 2008 – Volume XL, No. 44

America’s energy independence. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Eliminating the need for new power plants. These are BIG challenges that require BIG solutions. But, we all can be part of the solution. Start with the simple step of taking advantage of federal and state rebate programs for everyday appliances like furnaces, air conditioners, clothes washers and water heaters.

Other simple steps can come from all of us. For instance, turn down that thermostat, keep air conditioner setting high and use the dryer sparingly! (Try using a clothesline or indoor wooden clothes rack!)

Think about it as a fun challenge to cut your energy bills by 10 percent. And get your kids involved! It’s very satisfying to see the actual dollar savings that are possible. Most of us are motivated by saving money, but how about the additional satisfaction of knowing that we are lowering the demand for new power plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and helping make a healthier environment for everyone?

Check out the rebates and incentives for switching to more efficient appliances. For example, if you install qualified gas furnaces and heat pumps, you could be eligible for rebates of up to $400 under the N.J. Clean Energy Program’s (CEP) WARMAdvantage program. Their COOLAdvantage program provides up to $150 for homeowners who install eligible central air conditioning systems, as well as $100 to the contractors.

Upgrading to Energy Star certified high-efficiency clothes washers can earn you up to $75 in cash rebates. And you can earn up to $300 in rebates for installing a qualified high-efficiency water heater.

In addition to New Jersey’s incentives, the recently passed Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008 extended federal tax credits for energy efficiency home improvements and residential products into 2009.

Investing in energy efficiency is a smart choice for New Jerseyans. But it’s also an incredibly overlooked solution to both our energy and greenhouse gas problems. In fact, a report released in May by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) contends that energy efficiency may be the farthest-reaching, least-polluting, and fastest-growing energy success story of the last 50 years.

The report, entitled The Size of the U.S. Energy Efficiency Market: Generating a More Complete Picture found that investments in energy-efficient technologies reached $300 billion in 2004, almost three times the level of investment in new energy supply. Past investments in efficiency cut U.S. energy consumption from 18 thousand BTUs per dollar of economic output in 1970 to approximately 8.9 thousand today. The investments made in energy efficiency in 2004 alone saved the energy equivalent of 40 mid-sized power plants, yet we have only tapped into a fraction of efficiency’s potential!

You can see a full list of the rebate and incentive programs available to both residential and commercial consumers, and a really neat online Home Energy Analysis tool at the CEP website, at http://www.njcleanenergy.com/. For information on federal incentives, go to www.energystar.gov and click on the link “Tax Credits Under the Energy Bill”. For general tips on energy efficiency visit http://aceee.org/. And I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

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