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GETTING ENERGY SMART
The news on the energy front is depressing — skyrocketing gas prices, soaring home heating costs and no relief in sight. The days of cheap energy seem to be gone. The combination of increasing demand — particularly from Asian countries, political instability in the Middle East, the eroding value of the dollar, and the failure of government to develop an energy plan, have combined to hammer the American economy. So, what should we do? When it comes to our homes, there is a lot that we can do. Experts estimate that through aggressive conservation and efficiency programs, Americans can reduce their energy costs by nearly one-third. That’s significant. If energy costs rise dramatically, programs to reduce those rising costs will not only help our wallets, but will also help with the crisis resulting from global warming. If we use less energy, less fossil fuels will be burned. Where should we begin? Well, there are plenty of tips that are available on how to reduce energy costs in your home. They typically propose that home owners insulate more, identify heating “leaks,” turn off lights and computers, and purchase more energy efficient appliances — replacing an energy hog like a refrigerator, for example. But if you’re like me, it’s hard to know what to do, other than the most obvious fixes. We need someone to check things out and develop a real game plan for action. Prior to energy deregulation, New York required utilities to offer free home energy audits for ratepayers who requested them. Under that program, part of the Home Insulation Energy Conservation Act, utilities would send someone to check out your home, develop a checklist of energy options that you could employ to reduce costs, and even offer free or low cost energy saving packages — like giving you a free insulation “blanket” for your hot water heater. The program was started in reaction to the last energy crisis and lasted until the Pataki Administration deregulated the utility sector. And with the country enjoying relatively low energy costs at that time, most of us didn’t miss these free energy audits. Well, times have changed. The first thing New Yorkers need is for someone with expertise to help them develop a strategy for curbing home heating costs. Unfortunately, free home energy audits are no longer available to most of us. If you are willing to pay for it, though, the state does offer information on contractors who do these audits. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has a program called “New York Energy Smart,” which will give you a list of local contractors who do these audits. As far as I can tell, this service is just the listing of contractors who have been certified by the state, they are pretty much independent. So, the normal “buyer beware” rules should apply and if you use them, you should shop around to compare prices and see if you can get references. You can get information on this program by going to www.getenergysmart.org. The website has free tips on how to make your home more energy efficient. It also offers information on other subsidized and non-subsidized energy conservation and efficiency programs that allow New Yorkers to reduce energy costs. It’s a start, but New York public officials have to do more. Other than legislation passed by the New York State Assembly, which used money from a windfalls profits tax on the oil companies to fund energy programs, nothing of consequence was acted on this year. In addition, so far the governor has done little other than hold meetings and make public pronouncements. That has to change. The governor and the legislature should start moving. A good place to start would be to require that all New Yorkers be eligible for free home energy audits, and then to develop programs for those hit hardest by soaring energy costs. Until then, though, we’re on our own. Check out the www.getenergysmart.org website and begin to prepare for the winter. That’s all for now. I’ll be keeping an eye on the Capitol and will talk to you again next week. |
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