Nearly 500,000 Connecticut residents, businesses and municipalities saved millions of dollars on electricity last year, according to a recent report by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Board.
All together, the state saved approximately $285.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity. The estimated projection of cost savings at this rate is nearly $53.4 million annually and $630 million over a lifetime, according to an Energize Connecticut press release.
The program and operations report measured steps taken by the Energy Efficiency Fund to empower the state’s residents and businesses to use energy more efficiently, save money and reduce greenhouse gases. The state avoided carbon dioxide emissions of over 184,900 tons last year. Residents, businesses and municipalities also received electric, gas, fuel oil and propane system benefits valued at nearly $2.40 for every $1 spent on energy efficiency, the report said.
More than 477,000 Connecticut homeowners and renters saved $29.2 million, and more than 4,000 Connecticut businesses and municipalities saved $24.2 million last year by participating in energy-savings programs last year.
Among the commercial, industrial and municipal programs included free energy audits for small businesses; rebates, incentives and financing options to purchase new energy efficient equipment or incorporate energy efficiency measures into new construction; and training programs to implement energy efficiency behavioral changes companywide.
“A number of these businesses engaged in our ‘comprehensive initiative,’ a strategy that rewards business who implement multiple energy-saving measures at the same time, said Jamie Howland, chairperson of the Connecticut energy efficiency board. “For example, simultaneously installing LED lighting and a premium efficiency HVAC system. The long term return on investment is higher when customers take this approach.”
With Connecticut passing an expanded energy budget last year, the energy efficiency board will introduce innovative programs that maximize energy savings and keep the state a “national leader in energy efficiency,”Howland said.
The report also recognized a statewide clean energy communities program, a joint initiative by the Energy Efficiency Fund and Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority. The goal is to reduce the state’s municipal building energy consumption by 20 percent by 2018. Last year, 77 Connecticut municipalities signed the pledge to attain 20 percent of its electrical needs from renewal resources.
