Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
for most people this winter are turning up the heat to stay warm in this bitter
cold winter
but with the increased demand in the Northeast people can expect to pay more
on their energy bills
tonight are connecting point contributor Carolee McGrath
look set to families looking to save not just energy
but also money Joseph enough has a lot to juggle
she and her husband are just starting out they have a new baby and a new house
they both work full time and like many families getting the bills paid can be
tough
that's for sure and with the new baby I mean diapers wipes
have just everything is very expensive these days so
am groceries her so Chelsea is looking to see where she can save
and she's starting with her energy costs which continue to climb this winter from
most in the Northeast
she signed up for home energy assessment do you like the palate is it something
we're gonna continue to use
okay CJ Hanley is an energy specialist who works for the Center for Eagle
technology
a local company which conducts free energy audits for national grid
and Berkshire gas customers it's through a program called
mas se which is sponsored by gas electric companies to promote
energy efficiency family shows people where and how they can save on their
utility bills
and I start with the heating system the hot water system
those are the ones that use the most energy and then you get into
laundry lighting Chelsea uses oil and a pellet stove to heat your home
she uses propane for her stove and dryer and she also has a national grid
electric bill to pay
my parents had told me about it they had it done next door actually
and they just cant the bacon them to come around in
give us some tips on how to conserve energy and save money and and we looked
over the house
top to bottom or wall insulation will follow up on
wall almost all week in China along with
poll know whether cell phone
on the palm or handley says homeowners like Chelsea can qualify for rebates on
improvements they make on their homes
insulation rebates or a big one for me and culture town this
community afton hundreds of homes that were
you know insulated but they needed more because oil went from a dollar something
a gallon at 3:16
so most other communities around here oil and they're feeling the biggest
pension
rather than spending thousands of dollars to replace drafty windows or
doors
Hanley says a really easy fix is just to get blinds or curtains
have someone told me my windows are fifteen years all I need new windows
I'm gonna spend twelve thousand dollars they're never gonna see that money for
thirty or forty years
he also recommends switching to more energy efficient light bulbs
well I guess every house is a little different in every homeowner is to
I'll some people the priority is money and that's a big
factor these days I'm comfort is a big thing
common than some people are trying to be clean it's a combination for both Mac
and his family who decided to make a big change
by investing in solar panels to power is home I have always been reluctant to
pay somebody else for electricity
well in all the sun is shining on our roof mac add: northeast Solara happy old
install the panels last fall
it wasn't cheap it cost him forty three thousand dollars
but with tax incentives and rebates available he's expecting to break even
in five years for me to be honest
we've looked at this is a good place
to invest a little money it's a good
return on are
investment psychologically it has meant a lot to us
to are to feel like
we're contributing to helping the environment
Jared Marana northeast solar walked in through the process
he says the max may not owe their electric company Western Mass electric
much at all this year when all is said and done with their yearly
utility a fifteen hundred dollars they could see a net positive possibly
baking them credit or I end of the year bill
I totaling eighty five hundred dollars
total mister 1500 and while the frigid temperatures in the Northeast have
people cranking the heat
these homeowners are making big and small changes to help their bottom line
reporting for connecting point I'm Carolee McGrath