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Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Homes Program Celebrates 10,000th Home
Focus on Energy is celebrating the completion of the 10,000th home certified under its Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes Program. Homes constructed under the program are estimated to be 25 percent more energy efficient than homes built to Wisconsin's Uniform Dwelling Code.
Winter Tips for Saving on Energy Costs
• Maintain air filters. Change the furnace filter monthly or as needed.
• Reduce air leaks by sealing doors and windows with weather stripping or caulk.
• Use a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust temperature settings while you are asleep or away, saving as much as $100 per year.
• Add insulation and air sealing to the attic.
• Unplug electronics and appliances when not in use.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Cash-Back Rewards Make Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Work Harder for You
Focus on Energy offers Cash-Back Rewards to Wisconsin residents and businesses to encourage and help subsidize the purchase of energy efficient equipment or the implementation of projects that increase energy efficiency or make use of renewable energy.
Click here for some of the
Cash-Back Rewards Focus is offering right now.
The Savings Keep
Adding Up
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, has helped Wisconsin residents and businesses save more than $193 million in annual energy costs by working with the program.
These savings translate into real economic and environmental benefits. To put the figures into perspective, the total savings are equivalent to:
• The amount of electricity consumed annually by approximately 218,000 average homes in Wisconsin.
• Meeting the electricity needs of a town the size of Dodgeville, Wis., for 29 years.
• The amount of energy produced by burning 7,267 rail car loads of coal.
• The same energy value as 4 million barrels of oil.
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While consumers aren’t wishing for higher utility bills this holiday season, that’s what they might get if electronic items are on their wish lists. Consumer electronic products are responsible for approximately 15 percent of household electricity use – enough to make a real impact on energy bills. If you don’t want to be the bearer of added energy costs this holiday season, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, recommends looking for the ENERGY STAR when purchasing
electronics so you can be sure you are getting the most efficient models on the market.
LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights are a proven way to help consumers trim energy costs while trimming their trees. This technology is “green” in many ways. LED holiday lights save energy, help preserve the environment and put more green in people’s pocketbooks too. What’s more, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, is offering financial incentives toward the purchase of strings of LED holiday lights, saving consumers even more green.
You may not be a C-level executive or head up the maintenance team for your employer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lead the charge towards energy efficiency at work. In fact, there is no better time. Energy accounts for a growing percentage of operating costs for Wisconsin businesses, making energy management both a challenge and an opportunity. With an expected increase in energy costs this winter, businesses will need to examine every possibility to reduce their operating expenses. So why not tell your employer about
Focus on Energy? You can start by mentioning that since 2001, Focus has helped Wisconsin businesses save more than $110 million in annual energy costs. Think of it as an early holiday gift – or a holiday bonus that pays for years to come.
As electricity prices rise in Wisconsin and the potential risks of climate change seem to grow, we are hearing more about solar energy. Innovative business owners can start taking a leadership role by implementing renewable energy systems. Renewable energy systems will control energy costs for decades, while easing economic and environmental risks.