Susta i n abl e Ph i l a d elp hi a
Tender
Call the
Where to buy your holiday bird
Affordab le health care alternatives
turkeys
Nov e mb e r 2 0 13 / i ssu e 55
Doctor
It’s easier than ever to retrofit your house room by room, creating a more comfortable home that wastes less energy and money.
E
veryone wants to live in a home that is comfortable and energy efficient. The best way to get there is to look at your house as a whole. That's the approach embraced by programs like EnergySense from Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) and Smart Ideas from PECO. These programs include rebates, incentives, educational programs, energy audits and even free energy-saving items. Together with super low-interest financing from Keystone HELP, homeowners now have the tools to make any home more comfortable, energy efficient and affordable.
feature by Brian Rademaekers & illustrations by Robb Leef
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Three Big Ways
to Save! Rebates, incentives and financing save you money while you save energy throughout your home
PGW
Keystone
EnergySense
PECO
Smart Ideas
HELP
Rebates, incentives and discounts, on investments big and small!
Includes a range of tools and incentives to reduce energy use.
Super-low interest loans makes energy efficiency affordable.
Program benefits are available to all income levels.
Save small on things like high-efficiency light bulbs or save big on investments like geothermal heating and cooling.
Available statewide, with special low rates in Philadelphia and surrounding counties.
With Smart House Call, save on energy audits and even more on insulation, air sealing and heating system maintenance.
Loans for home improvements from insulation and air sealing to solar panels and new windows.
Get rebates on ENERGY STAR appliances like air conditioners and refrigerators.
Backed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania State Treasury.
Get a home energy audit for just $150 and learn which rebates, incentives and financing are available to you. Rewards customers who follow the auditor's recommendations to save energy. Rebates based on energy saved, not money spent.
PECO customers whose primary heat source is electric can get a $300 energy audit for just $100.
JUST $150
ENERGY STAR
REBATES
.99% FINANCING
(215) 684–6000
(888) 573–2672
(888) 232–3477
PGWEnergySense.com
PECO.com/SmartIdeas
KeystoneHelp.com
ENERGY AUDIT
N OV E M B E R 20 13
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In the kitchen, money should be spent on quality ingredients — not high-energy bills. A clunky old refrigerator can be one of a home's biggest energy drains, in large part because it never stops running. The kitchen can also harbor “phantom load” appliances, which are seldom used but draw energy as long as they are plugged in. 1 Trade in your old fridge for a new quali-
2 Unplug coffee makers and microwaves
4 Older model stoves can waste electric-
fying ENERGY STAR-rated appliance and you’ll save $150 a year in costs, plus you’ll get a $50 rebate from PECO and $35 when they pick up the outdated model. Refrigerators and freezers run best when full, so fill empty space with gallon jugs of water.
when they aren’t being used. Using a power strip (supplied free from PECO for qualifying customers), you can “unplug” a variety of appliances with the press of a single button.
ity or gas, especially ones with a constantly burning pilot light. Save money by replacing with an ENERGY STAR-rated model.
6 Replace a 2.2 gallon-per-minute (GPM) faucet aerator with 1.1 GPM and receive a $10 PGW rebate while helping cut water usage in half.
5 ENERGY STAR dishwashers use as
7 Special loans from the Keystone HELP
little as 5 gallons of water, compared to as much as 27 gallons of water washing by hand. That’s a savings of more than 4,700 gallons of water a year. ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save up to 10% in energy.
program can cover investments in a geothermal home well — as much as $35,000. PECO offers rebates of $200 per ton for ENERGY STAR heat pumps — that's $800 for an average house.
3 Many houses have a drafty backdoor in the kitchen. PGW and PECO rebates and KeystoneHELP loans are available for weather-stripping windows, doors and more.
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WaterSense
1 A new ENERGY STAR exhaust fan is
3 CFL and LED lights use less energy and
4 PGW offers rebates (estimate for two
quieter, works better, uses less energy, and can keep away moisture and mold that would otherwise present health and safety concerns. Covered by Keystone HELP loans if recommended in energy audit.
last much longer than incandescent bulbs. A CFL uses 75% less energy and lasts eight times as long as an incandescent. LEDs last five times as long as CFLs, and use even less energy. PECO offers rebates on ENERGY STAR CFLs ($1-$3) and LEDs ($5$15). (See infographic for more details.)
showers and three sinks: $132) for lowflow faucet and showerhead aerators, which are free from PECO for qualifying customers who get a full home energy audit. Reduce your flow from two gallons per minute to just a half gallon. Typical energy savings $23 per year. Replacing a 2.2 GPM showerhead with 1.5 GPM on average yields a $35 PGW rebate, and replacing a 2.2 GPM faucet aerator with 1.1 GPM yields a $10 PGW rebate.
2 A leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day. Fixing or replacing it can save a family of four $2,000 over a lifetime. Save even more with a WaterSense-certified low- or dual-flush model.
26
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WaterSense is a labeling program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that makes it easier to use less water with water-efficient products and services. Look for the WaterSense seal on products and services that have been certified at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance.
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G R I D P H I L LY.CO M 29
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New furnaces and boilers are close to 99 percent efficient, compared to many still in use that are 72 percent efficient, or even lower. But efficiently produced heat is still wasteful if it leaks through gaps in the foundation idge— a common ld fr R o r u auditor TA helps you find problem in older homes. Once an yo e out ERGY S morthe Keystone HELP itchprogram’s N TO a w E leaks, lowVloan h S t w d i E UP rates will ne el a ar w werhea A e S r y o d o o cover the cost off patching up the holes, and PGW will per nt shhelp dm ie rate effic pay you for energy saved. ar!
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1 An investment in your heater gives you the biggest bang for your buck. Upgrade and get rebates from PGW up to $2,000, as well as Keystone HELP loans. A new high-efficiency heater can save $350 a year over a standard heater. Over the unit's lifetime, that can mean $7,000 or more. Even if you don’t need a new unit, tune-ups or repairs that improve efficiency and save money are covered by PGW Home Rebates. PECO also offers rebates covering in various HVAC components, from l ab e s vail $50-$1,000. e
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7 Full-sized ENERGY STAR washers use 14 to 25 gallons of water per load, compared to more than 40 gallons by standard machines. That's 37.5% to 70% less water.
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N OV E M B E R 20 13
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1 Special loans from the Keystone HELP
2 Silver or white rooftop coatings reflect
program can cover investments in solar arrays and solar hot water heaters — as much as $35,000.
heat and last longer than black tar roofs. Consider a spray foam roof, which is both reflective and adds another layer of insulation. Federal tax rebates cover 10 percent of qualifying improvements, up to $500.
GRI D P HI L LY.COM
NOVEM BE R 2013
3 Go digital and make it easy to program your home’s temperature for the most efficient energy use. Switch from a standard thermostat to a programmable thermostat in the Home Rebates program for a PGW rebate of up to $165. A smart thermostat can reduce energy use up to five percent for every degree that isn’t cooled or heated, saving you up to $150 a year.
4 Move furniture or other items blocking vents to ensure a smooth-running heating and cooling system. 5 PECO’s Smart Driver rebate will pay you $50 just for letting them know you bought an electric car.
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light from your windows and cut cooling costs, lowering a room's temperature by as much as five degrees in the summer.
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N OV E M B E R 20 13
G R I D P H I L LY.CO M 33
The energy to save…
At Philadelphia Gas Works we’re developing new ways for residential customers to save more money and use less energy, without sacrificing comfort. That’s why PGW rebates of up to $2,000 are available for homeowners, landlords and even renters who replace their old furnace or boiler. Find out how to save green by being green at: www.PGWEnergySense.com