A few weeks ago in the mail I received a letter from Vectren showing my household’s energy usage compared to that of my neighbors. I was surprised to see that it was a fair amount more, but also included in the letter was information about a new program the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) is offering called Energizing Indiana. The letter provided me with a local number I could call and their website to check the qualification details in order to schedule a free appointment to help educate me on ways to reduce energy usage and costs in my home. With a state-wide goal of reducing electric usage by approximately 12 percent by 2019, IURC, through Energizing Indiana, launched a number of electric energy efficiency programs for Hoosier families and businesses earlier this year. These state programs, when combined with local utility programs and changes that have been made in the regulations for reducing utility costs, help to conserve energy across the board. But just having the programs is not going to get us to the reduction goal, we need to actively participate in them and adjust our own energy behaviors. Upon arriving at my home, the technician performed assessments on my home’s insulation levels, air leakage, the heating and air conditioning system, water heater, lighting and appliances. While on site, he determined that our hot water heater was not performing at its peak efficiency. The technician insulated the water pipes and dialed the thermostat down to the suggested temperature of 120 degrees. He also installed two low-flow shower heads, two bathroom faucet aerators and a kitchen faucet aerator. With these simple changes, my family should save about 2 percent on our energy use. Lighting was another area for energy-saving opportunities. While the majority of our incandescent light bulbs have already been replaced with energy efficient CFL bulbs, the technician replaced many of the remaining bulbs to save even more on our electric bills. In just one hour, not only did the technician perform some free, energy-saving measures, he helped us understand how our home uses energy – and provided us no-cost and low-cost improvement suggestions. This entire assessment and the additions he provided were free of charge and will help reduce our own energy usage. I encourage all Hoosier families to schedule an Energizing Indiana home energy assessment and take advantage of the additional energy efficiency programs that their local Indiana utility offers. Our state has never had so many resources to help save energy and lower energy costs. If you would like to learn more about Energizing Indiana, and possibly schedule an appointment, please visit their website at www.energizingindiana.com for qualification details. If you qualify, then you may call 888-446-7750 to schedule an appointment. This is an excellent program and I hope many Hoosiers take advantage of it to help reduce their energy costs and usage. -30- State Rep. Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville) Crouch Capitol Connection, Programs available to help reduce energy usage and costs, 6-7-12.doc |
