Saving Money by Using Less Energy
Energy efficiency is one of the cheapest and fastest climate solutions. When paired with clean energy investments, energy efficiency can save us money while cutting out the dirty fuels that cause climate change.
CLF In Action
Energy efficiency means lower demand for electricity through the use of energy-saving appliances, building weatherization, and other strategies in our homes and businesses. Every New England state has programs to support investments in energy efficiency. But we need more.
CLF has been instrumental in creating an infrastructure that generates revenue for energy efficiency efforts, such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the profits from which get reinvested in efficiency programs.
But energy efficiency programs can never live up to their full potential if they are not available to everyone. Currently, these programs are overwhelmingly difficult for renters or low-income homeowners to access. And without everyone lowering our energy use, together, we can’t slash climate-warming emissions at the scale needed. That’s why CLF is pushing to both fully fund state energy efficiency programs and make them more inclusive and effective.
What’s at Stake
The more energy we all use, the more must be generated. The cost to generate that energy goes beyond the dollar figure on our utility bills. Part of that cost is sunk into the generation facilities that produce electricity. Another part is in the poles and wires needed to bring that energy into our homes and businesses.
By cutting the overall demand for electricity, energy efficiency saves billions of dollars by delaying or avoiding the need for new transmission lines and expensive new polluting power plants. It also reduces how much power electricity plants must produce, meaning less pollution and lower electricity bills for everyone. This impact is magnified when coupled with transitioning towards more clean energy sources.
However, managing demand for electricity doesn’t mean making due with less. It actually means doing more with less: like refrigerators or dishwashers that use less energy but work as well as your current model.
