by Karen Helen
We have been increasingly concerned about water in these years of drought which has been headlined frequently “over the fold” and on almost every newscast. A lot of Venturans have stepped up and participated in reducing home water usage.
What has had less enthusiastic coverage is the energy load and the resources we have here in Ventura County to save on our power needs through the emPower program that has partnered with the county government. The program has many avenues to aid the homeowner and business owner to revamp their structures and save on electricity and gas year round.
How much do you know about your insulation, heating and air conditioning ducts, sealing of windows (as a side note, it’s well worth Googling “replacement windows atlanta” if you’re looking to completely change your windows), efficiency and safety of your hot water heater and furnace? You might also be interested in energy-efficient replacement windows which could also help to make your home more efficient. A site inspection by an energy expert can tell you exactly what is going on and there are even low interest, unsecured loans from avaialble for repairs. Tax credits are also still available to go solar for your hot water needs.
The program specifically designed for the individual homeowner can provide an energy coach to do the free site visit and inspection. This aspect is lauded as emPower’s Personalized Customer Support, providing expert energy advice and access to utility incentives and qualified contractors for any work that is needed. After the inspection a full report will be produced for the homeowner along with pictures. The program in Spanish is available as well.
emPower takes the whole house approach to give you a snapshot of the energy use in your home and does it for free. Besides the financial savings don’t discount the improvement in the comfort of your home and enhancing the quality of the inside air itself. There are always the options for upgrades including going solar, getting Replacement Windows Austin, high efficiency furnace/air and water heater appliances by contractors certified through emPower.
There is also an outreach program run by emPower that provides businesses with a presentation for their employees. A presentation that explains their services in which they will talk about all the energy related aspects of a home or commercial building that many of us don’t think about when we turn on the electricity or natural gas.
Sustainability of safe and efficient energy is the core purpose of emPower. You can contact them at 654-3834; [email protected] and emPowerSBC.org.
