Going Green Could Get Easier

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd offer some info on making your home as efficient as possible. It's a great chance to not only help protect our environment, but also save you a little money, too!

Progress Energy Will Offer Solar Benefit

-Progress Energy's residential customers may soon receive $1,000 to help pay to install solar water heaters in their homes.

-The Raleigh-based electric utility will offer the incentives to 150 people throughout its service area in the state as part of a pilot project. Progress will run the pilot program for two years to measure its effectiveness in achieving energy savings. The company will also assess whether the amount of the incentive attracts participants.

-If the program is deemed successful, Progress could offer the benefit to all its customers in the state.

-A typical solar water heater can cost about $7,000, compared to a conventional water heater that costs $1,000 or less. Solar water heaters rely primarily on free sunshine as an energy source, and use electricity or natural gas as a backup source of power, and with incentive programs can pay for themselves in five to seven years.

-The utility incentive, along with a tax credits from the state and federal governments, can cut the cost of a solar water heater by more than half.Be sure to keep an eye on headlines over the next few years as I'm sure they'll be offering updates (especially if they achieve a good amount of success) about this program. I'll definitely post updates here, as well.

Until it becomes commonplace and practical to completely convert your home's infrastructure, take a few minutes to complete the EPA's analysis of you and your home's carbon footprint. At the end, there is a great tool that helps estimate (in yearly dollar savings) how small changes (such as changing your overnight temperature by 1 or 2 degrees) can affect not only your carbon footprint but your bottom line, too!

Happy Earth Day everyone!