Earth Day 2014

Happy Earth Day! It has been 44 years since the first Earth Day April 22nd, 1970. Since the start of Earth Day, the Earth has seen both environmentally disastrous and progressive events. Our planet is now home to over 7 billion people and the population is growing by 200,000 each day. Carbon dioxide levels are approaching 400 ppm, levels never experienced by humans. The rapid growth of developing countries has established a new class of polluters that will increase the levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. In the United States, we have endured the harsh effects of a planet on the brink – droughts, strong storms, and merciless winter weather.

So, what does Earth Day mean today? Some see it as the birth of the modern environmental movement. Others see it as a an environmental hoax that limits economic productivity (we think they’re wrong!). Regardless, the creation of Earth Day spurred significant pieces of environmental legislation that positively affected American health and preserved our natural treasures.

The History of Earth Day

The 1960s were an era of social and environmental activism during which the seeds of the modern environmental movement were sown. Concerns over air and water pollution, waste disposal, smog, radiation and other environmental hazards became part of the American political rhetoric. Environmental activism was supported by the general public instead of being the pet cause of the rich, as it had been in previous eras.

Roosevelt and Muir at Yosemite National Park

In 1962, conservationist and biologist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring.  Silent Spring drew attention to the issue of DDT and harmful effects of synthetic pesticides. Carson found that the pesticides used to kill bugs were harming the biosphere because they devastated animals that were doing no harm to crops. “As crude a weapon as the cave man’s club, the chemical barrage has been hurled against the fabric of life – a fabric on the one hand delicate and destructible, on the other miraculously tough and resilient, and capable of striking back in unexpected ways. These extraordinary capacities of life have been ignored by the practitioners of chemical control who have…no humility before the vast forces with which they tamper.” While other previous scientific studies proved Carson’s findings true, only she had the courage to stand up against the industry. Due in large part to Carson’s influence, the Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1970. In 1972, the EPA issued a cancellation order for DDT based on the adverse environmental effects of its use on wildlife and human health. Today DDT is classified as a probable human carcinogen by US and International authorities.

Americans and many other countries have suffered from environmental pollutants. The use of unregulated coal power plants after the WWII cost the lives of many. In Pennsylvania alone, over 600 people had to be hospitalized due to sulfur dioxide smogs; 20 people died. In London, the use of coal power plants drenched the city in a thick cloud of smog that cost the lives of about 12,000 people. These environmental and human health disasters led to the Clean Air Act of 1963, which allowed the government to regulate air toxins on a national level.

The Great Smog of 1952

The Johnson and Nixon administrations advanced environmental issues more than any other administration in the history of the United States. Some of the legislative decrees include:

• Dederal pesticide controls: This increased the power of the federal government and the Department of Agriculture to oversee the status of dangerous chemicals.

• Wilderness Act: The government was granted the authority to define the “wilderness” and establish millions of acres of preserved land. The definition of the wilderness according to the federal government: “A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

• Solid Waste Act: Provided funding and grants for research programs relating to solid waste and its disposal.

• Water Quality Act: The act ordered states to develop water quality standards and goals for improved water quality.

• Highway Beautification Act: This act removed junk yards and other environmental eyesores and encouraged scenic development along national highways.

• Fish and Wildlife Conservation Protection Act: The Secretary of the Interior was granted the power to protect endangered species and to take precautions to prevent their extinction. The Johnson version of this act gave the Secretary the authority to protect 35 mammal and 30-34 bird species.

• Clean Water Restoration Act: Provided communities with funding to reach standards established by the Water Quality Act of 1965. This also provided incentives for states to have purity standards for interstate waters.

• Endangered Species Act: This ordered the reversal of a species’ extinction whatever the cost.

• Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: This act provided a system and gave the government the authority to protect national rivers. Today there are over 1,000 miles of protected rivers.

There are many other acts and parks that were established by presidential administrations during the birth of the modern environmental movement. The culmination of the movement was the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency by Nixon in 1970. The new agency was given the authority to manage the U.S. environmental policy and enforce its laws.

In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) created Earth Day as a way to promote environmental awareness on the national level. It was observed by 20 million Americans. Nelson was the single co-sponsor of legislation requesting the ban of DDT, and supported the idea of removing phosphates from detergents. He believed the need for environment legislation was as great as the need for an atomic defense policy.

Nelson said that Earth Day should be observed by Americans in any way the want to. On the first Earth Day, Nelson stated, “Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The objective is an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human being and all living creatures.”

The Influence of Earth Day and Its Future

The Earth is in peril. Drought and desertification are affecting many parts of the world. Rising sea levels are beginning to displace many. The Earth is fragile, but the obstacles we have overcome to preserve our planet have been numerous.

On Earth Day 44, fears of contaminated water or air are rare. Electric cars are starting to populate our roads. The per capita energy use for Americans has been decreasing and the use of renewable energy has been increasing. Carbon dioxide emissions for the US are down by 10% since 2005. The fastest growing energy section in the world comes from renewable sources.

Today is a day to remember and to embrace the future of our planet. Remember all those people who had the courage to speak out against a polluting establishment in order to give all of us a cleaner world. Embrace a green future where everyone has the right to a clean environment. Greenohm will also reflect on Earth Day. The modern environmental movement is the reason why our company exists and why we can provide you with rebates to reduce your energy consumption.

Celebrate the Earth in your own way! Plant new flowers or trees, ride or walk to work, lower your meat consumption, turn off the lights, pick up trash, educate others! Always remember, this is our planet and the planet of future generations. It’s our duty to preserve it!

John Muir Redwoods

“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” John Muir

 

Happy Earth Day 44!

Additional Reading

https://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/almanac.shtml

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/earthdays/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/earthdays/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/earthdays/player/

Homepage

http://www.epa.gov/earthday/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/04/new-york-city-in-20-years_0_n_4182025.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year in Review: 2013 Energy Efficiency Part 1

2013 was probably one of the most momentous years for energy efficiency but as the world still grips with the effects of the Great Recession, progress was a bit limited. The year 2013 did bring a new standard of energy efficiency for many Energy Star labeled products, check out the Most Efficient in 2013 to see if your appliance made the list!

This year will also mark the start of the age of natural gas and renewables. As the fast growing energy sources, both renewables and natural gas have experienced significant growth and success throughout 2013. Renewables have officially become competitive to conventional sources and natural gas has surpassed coal as the most widely used fuel.

2013 Stats

Weather

Weather-wise, this year we saw record high and record low temperatures hitting the US. Summer of 2013 was the 5th warmest summer on record. The warm temperatures have resulted in escalating utility bill costs and deadly storms approaching dense areas of the country. Of course we can’t control the weather to work in our energy efficient favor, but the changes in our energy consumptive behaviours have been accelerating. With temperatures peaking past 100 degrees Fahrenheit, air conditioners are no longer a luxury but a necessity to withstand the new summer. For the summer of 2013, there was a slight drop in utility costs compared to 2012. The cost was offset due to increases in electricity price.

Average U.S. residential summer 2013 electric bill expected to be lowest in four years. (Credit: EIA)

While the east coast of the United States broke record high temperatures this year, the Midwest and other areas have experienced frigid conditions. For the winter of 2013, it is expected that heating bills could increase almost 13%!

Weather Highlights (Credit: Accuweather)

Energy

Renewable energy sources have seen tremendous increases in 2013.

Additional Energy by Fuel Type in the U.S. (Credit: EIA)

In 2012, wind was credited as the fastest growing energy source of 2013 accounting for about 43% of all electric installations. The solar sector this year has seen its second largest increase in its history! All together, renewables and nuclear power had the fastest growth rate of 2013 at 2.5%. In the fossil fuel world, natural gas has seen impressive increases worldwide. In terms of total energy consumption, the US has seen decreases in total energy consumption since the start of the 2000s. Other types of fuels, like for transportation and heating, have not seen a significant increase and have hovered around 18-19 million barrels per day.

Stay tuned next week when we go over innovations in energy efficiency for 2013!

Have an Energy Efficient and Happy New Year from all of us at GreenOhm!

Top Energy-Efficient Gifts 2013

So you might be thinking about getting that new game system, laptop, or other fancy electronic. Adding new electronics to your home could also add costs to your utility bill. Here are a few cool, electronic gifts that have surpassed energy-efficiency benchmarks!

Game Consoles

The Xbox One and the PS4 might be some of the things on your holiday shopping list. Recently, the Natural Resource Defense Council reported that the projected video game consoles U.S energy consumption is about 10-11 billion kWh per year! This is about 4 large 500 MW power plants or as much as the total energy consumption of Houston.

In a head-to-head match, both devices use about three times more energy that their most recent model. A PS4 is more likely to use more energy to deliver better graphics than the Xbox One, but in sleep more, the PS4 wins. The Xbox One uses more energy in standby mode to respond to voice commands. In a year, the Xbox One will use more energy than the PS4. When you think about all the amazing things these electronics do, Netflix, Blu-Ray, YouTube, other awesome things in one place, they price may be worth it.

Tablets

Power a tablet at normal use, could cost you as little as $1.38 per year. The days of the bulky PC and the high-tech high energy bills, seem to be over. Compared to desktop PCs, tablets use 25 times less energy. While Apple was able to produce a tablet that only uses about 12 kWh per year, other tablets typically consume about 10-25 kWh per year.

Laptops

Like tablet PCs, laptops also use a fraction of the energy used desktop systems. Laptops use about 50-80% less energy than desktop computers. Many large desktop systems can typically used over 100 watts compared to the 15-25 watts or lower for laptops. Other environmental factors include the e-waste generated by large systems compared to the lower e-waste produced by mobile system.

TVs

If you’re over the age of 30, you probably witness more radical changes in TV throughout your lifetime. Since the 1980’s, from color TV‘s to LED screens, the TV revolution has changed our screens and our energy savings. Plasma screen T.V.’s use up the most energy at about $7 a month of typical energy usage. The most energy efficient televisions are LED sets, using as much as 10% of the total energy used by plasma sets. If you’re still using a CRT televisions, odds are you are spending a lot more to watch your favorite TV show than your neighbors with flat screens.

Get Ready… Electra is Coming!

‘Twas a few days before the holidays, and all through the house, a whistling cold draft forced everyone into hiding.

With freezing temperatures ruling over the Great Lake and Northeast states, home heating systems will be working overtime to keep your home from becoming an ice palace. The 5th winter storm, Electra, is about to pound the Midwest and Northeast with inches of snow; including a predicted 1.5-2 ft of snow heading towards the Lake Erie coast of New York. As temperatures dip and snow accumulates, you might be wondering how safe is your home from these frigid conditions?

Credits: Weather Channel

1. Cold Air

You see that crack in your wall? That unsealed space between your door and door frame? It’s common sense that all those openings will be amazing entrances for cold air. But why does cold air come into your home? Small physics lesson: Heat can flow. Consider this: if one object is next to a warmer object, heat will transfer to colder object until thermal equilibrium is reached. When thermal equilibrium is reach, heat will cease to move and will not change over time. Your house is one object and the cold outside is another object. If you’re trying to keep your house at a decent 65 degrees, but it’s -2 degrees outside, your heater will need to work harder to maintain that temperature during a faster heat loss rate. The best way to avoid this is to move to a climate that rarely changes and remains a comfortable temperature… but let’s be realistic. By retrofitting your home with insulation upgrades, weather stripping, or other envelope upgrades, you can decrease the rate of heat loss and save money in the long run. Also… you might not freeze?

2. Snow on the roof?

Not all roofs are created equal. In times of heavy snowfall, snow can accumulate on your roof. While most of the snow melts to the ground, there can be some parts of your roof that can instead collect ice and hold pools of water. Trapped water will find a path of least resistance and since the only escape is inside your house, be sure to expect a leaky roof. Blizzard conditions can cause harm to damage shingles and also add significant weight to your roof. In addition, an improperly insulated attic can cause problems to rain gutters. Heat escaping from your attic will melt the snow but also cause your rain gutters to build an ice dam. A buildup of ice in your rain gutters can put more weight on your gutters. To save on roofing issues, it’s best to keep on eye on any possible roof issues prior to heavy snow fall.

Errata: Winter IS here.

3. Windows and Doors

Heat can be lost in large volume through inefficient windows and doors. When shopping around for window upgrades look for the following key terms: U-Factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). A U-Factor determines the rate of non-solar heat flow by the unit. A lower U-Factor signifies a more efficient window. A solar heat gain coefficient refers to the amount of solar light gained by the window. A lower SHGC means signifies less solar heat penetration. In many cases, depending on our window orientation, solar heat from windows can benefit your home if your windows are facing south during the winter.  Lastly, the installation of storm windows and doors can keep you warm and save you money.

Tips for Easy Cold Weather Fixes

Weatherstripping

For doors and windows, weatherstripping is best to seal those cracks in movable areas of your home. This tip is also very effective because it’s both cheap and can be used during the summer too to keep the hot air out.

DOE: Weatherstripping

Caulking

This type of solution is best for stationary components of the home. Like weatherstripping, caulking is also an easy, cheap fix to your home winter problems. In addition, caulking can keep your home safe from outdoor elements and protect your walls and floor from water damage. Weatherstripping and caulking can save the average consumer about 20% on their energy bills.

Other

Other ideas include but are not limited to: sealing off unused rooms, buying thick curtains, allowing sunlight in, cooking and baking, upgrade duct and pipe insulation, get an electric blanket. Stranger ideas include: sitting on or staying near batteries that heat up while charging, Discovery Channel style, flannel bedding, buy fuzzy socks, or just bury yourself in a mountain of blankets as these never ending winter storms pummel us.

Got any tips on staying warm? Comment below!

Additional Tips 

Cheap Ways to Stay Warm

Top 10 Ways to Stay Warm this Winter

30 Foolproof Ways to Get Through This Winter

‘Tis the Season… to be Energy Efficient!

Happy Thanksgivukkah! This week is a holiday packed week! With today being the first day Hanukkah to many and tomorrow Thanksgiving, kitchens will be the center of the world for many. So much cooking can lead to a lot of energy consumption… so how can you have an energy efficient holiday dinner? Here are some tips:

1. The Oven

Are you an impatient cook who opens the oven door constantly? OK, face it… the turkey will not run away. Opening the oven door constantly will lower the temperature 25 degrees each time. A decrease in temperature will cause your oven to use more energy to reach the desired temperature. Instead of opening the oven door constantly, turn on the oven light to see how your dish is doing. In addition, cutting food into smaller pieces will accelerate the baking process too. If you’re making dishes don’t require the oven , use alternative cooking appliances like microwaves or stove tops to cook them. Using a microwave instead of an oven four time a week, will save you about 20 dollars on your energy bill each year!

2. The Refrigerator 

Maybe you’re the unlucky one hosting Thanksgiving this year. After everyone leaves you’re left with a mountain of food. Stuff it in the fridge! Keeping your refrigerator nearly full is both energy efficient and logical (you can eat Thanksgiving food for the next few days). Of course, don’t always keep your fridge filled to capacity when you’ll have food go to waste. Also, maintaining a fridge overcapacity can affect the air circulation in the unit and cause certain foods to stay fresh.

3. Cleaning Up. 

Many seem to think that it is more energy efficient to wash dishes by hand than through a washing machine. In reality, to wash dishes by hand and be more efficient than a dishwasher, you will need to wash an entire load of dishes with 4 gallons of water in 96 seconds (assuming your faucet/shower runs at 2.5 gallons per minute)! So, if you have a dishwasher handy, stuff all those dishes into it and save 37% more water and a ton of time than washing them by hand.

Enjoy the holiday weekend! If you’re an American reader, remember to get some rest and eat lots of calories to prepare for another Epic Black Friday!

It’s OK… it’s a tofu turkey.

 

Innovations Inspired by Science Fiction

Energy Vocabulary 101: Refrigerators and Freezers

There is a whole jargon that define aspects of energy efficiency. Words like: dual fuel for heating appliances, U-Factor for windows and doors, and other like Initial Solar Reflectance. You’re probably wondering what all of these mean and how does it make your home more energy efficient? As always, GreenOhm is here to explain everything you need to know about the basics of energy efficiency!

Refrigerators and Freezers

They keep our food fresh and keep us happy when we’re searching for a quick cold snack in the summer. Younger units will of course be more energy efficient. But what do all these terms mean when buying a refrigerator/freezer? Below are some common terms you should look for when buying a new unit:

Energy Star

The Energy Star designation is awarded to appliances that use 20-30% less energy than federal standards. This designation originated in the U.S. in 1992 and since then it has been adopted by other countries. It is estimated that the average household saves about $1,200 throughout the lifetime of an Energy Star appliance! Other benefits relating to energy star include lower water usage and less greenhouse gas emissions by reduced energy demand. Visit the Energy Star website for a list of Energy Star products!

The CEE Tier

Sometimes, in addition to meeting Energy Star requirements, more energy efficient units are placed into tiers created by the Consortium of Energy Efficiency (we will discuss the CEE in later blog post). For refrigerator units, the three tiers specified by the CEE are the following:

High-efficiency specifications for REFRIGERATORS

Auto or Manual Defrost?

This applies to freezer and refrigerators with a freezer. This literally means that in a manual defrost unit, the owner must manually defrost the freezer. While an auto defrost unit uses more energy by using heat to defrost the unit, a manual defrost unit also has its issues. A manual defrost unit requires the owner to remove the ice to avoid damages to the unit. If the unit is not properly defrosted, the build up of ice on the coils prevents proper airflow and reduces the unit’s efficiency.

You also want an ice maker?

For some, ice makers are a nice perk to your refrigerator unit. Although, ice maker capabilities add about 12-20% more energy consumption per unit.

Does it matter where the freezer is on the refrigerator?

While many people like the side by side models, bottom or top models can save you 10-15% in energy use!

Size?

The bigger the unit, the more energy it will use but it also depends on the age and the amount of space your food occupies.

Other factors include the color and brand of your unit, but that’s all up to you. Maybe you’ll want a rad new pink or green refrigerator! I don’t know if those still exist… the only colors I have seen are: black, white, and silver. Looking to purchase a new unit? Check out models from our friends at Bosch and Abt.

Further Reading:

Interested in learning more about the features of refrigerators? Check out the links below:

http://oikos.com/esb/31/refrigerator.html

http://housewares.about.com/od/refrigeratorsfreezers/bb/bybrefrigerator.htm

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/refrigerators/buying-guide.htm

http://reviews.cnet.com/refrigerators/buying-guide/

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/10/the-huge-chill-why-are-american-refrigerators-so-big/280275/

21st Century Energy: The Smart Grid

What is it?

Many of us have heard about the smart grid, but what is it? A smart grid is a two-way system that gives the utility company valuable information. This valuable information could be used to prevent blackouts, power line overheating, and other avoidable issues by instant communication. So why does this matter? Our current electricity system follows the “just-in-time” model; we basically create to meet the demand. This means that power companies need to perfectly calculate the energy demand without having surplus or deficit in energy production. So, yes, it’s common knowledge that if there is an energy deficit, we will experience some blackouts, but what happens with an energy surplus? Basically, the utility company is wasting resources by creating excess electricity and, depending on where you live, the utility company may be using an excess amount of fossil fuels, adding greenhouse gas emissions to our atmosphere. This is also economically damaging because the cost of operating additional power resources passes to the consumer’s utility bill.

(Image source: Environmental Defense Fund)

Another reason an energy surplus is a bad thing is simple physics. Heat is energy and an excess amount could lead to power line tripping thus affecting the entire grid. Let’s use a low energy demand example, in a low demand situation with high energy production, a grid is congested with energy surplus, causing power lines to heat up. Now the opposite situation, let’s say that it’s a hot, summer day and energy demand is through the roof! In this case, the huge demand will flow more energy, which travels near the speed of light (about 60% the speed of light, the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second or about 670,616,629 mph… so that would be about 402,369,977.4 mph or 179,875,786 m/s!), through power lines and the end result will be power lines over heating. How can a smart grid alleviate these problems? Through smart, computerized communication, instead of sending workers out and risking the impending doom of a blackout, a smart grid system could provide the necessary data to control the flow of energy! Check out this video from Scientific American for additional clarification!

The Benefit of Implementing a Smart Grid System

Does anyone remember the Northeast Blackout of 2003? That blackout was the symbol of how much our country depended on 20th century electric technology. An event that began in a small town in Ohio caused an electric domino effect that left about 50 millions people without power, including largest city in the U.S. A smart grid system with self healing capabilities could have stopped the largest blackout in American history. A self healing smart grid system could have isolated the problematic areas of the grid by separating other parts of the grid system to fend for themselves, avoiding an electric domino effect. By implementing smarter technologies, errors and alarms on the grid could be analyzed by computers to help stop the problem from spreading.

For utilities and customers, benefits are seen through reduced operational costs. A smart grid will provide better information to forecast energy production and consumption. The bigger picture for forecasting energy use is the reduction in fossil fuel emissions produced by the energy sector. The U.S. gets about 68% of its energy from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum). A smarter grid could cut that number by making it easier to add renewable energy sources to our national grid. Renewable energy would benefit from a smart grid system. A modern grid could provide the needed energy infrastructure to store excess energy and transport energy to urban areas. Also, since renewables, like solar and wind, are mostly intermittent sources, a smart grid could facilitate their use by gathering information on trends and turning on backup fossil fuel power plants only when energy production slumps.

The last and the greatest benefit is the growth consumer energy awareness. A smart grid system has the potential to give consumers more power over their energy by monitoring their usage and changing their habits. Many smart grid systems have the capabilities to give customers real time data on their energy usage. This information could be used to reduce energy consumption and utility bills, making consumers better educated and control over their energy habits.

Smart Grid Status

There are about 90 smart grid pilot programs around the world. China alone has invested $7.5 billion in smart grad systems. The U.S. has also invested big in these system; investing almost $4.5 billion from the 2009 stimulus bill. In the U.S. large utility companies like, Pacific Gas and Energy Company and Florida Power and Light Company, have equipped thousands of households with smart meters, giving the consumer real time information about their energy consumption.

Closing Thoughts

The smart grid idea will be the future of energy in the U.S. and the rest of the world. These types of technologies will not only create a more efficient and reliable energy sector but also empower the consumers over their utility consumption. The world economic environment is swiftly changing from an industrious 20th century economy to a clean tech-heavy economy, the smart grid will be necessary to reach the heights of the prosperous economic future.

A Spooky, Green Halloween!

It’s that time of year when the trees become bare, when the sun sets earlier day by day, and ominous nights haunt our lives. When children, both young and old, lurk out seeking free treats to devour. It’s the night when vampires seek, witches fly, and werewolves hunt. It’s Halloween tonight…

We all enjoy a good scare and some bags of candy here and there. Many of us decorate our homes to give everyone the ultimate Halloween experience. With so many Halloween decorations available, is it possible to have an energy efficient Halloween and still give people chills as they knock on your door for candy? Here are a few monstrous tips to make your Halloween a gooey green Halloween:

1. Use LED battery candles instead of light bulbs or flame candles for Jack-o’-lanterns and other decorations. These types of candles will last you longer and avoid the possible heat hazards caused by conventional sources. In addition, LED can last you about 133 times longer than incandescent battery candles.

2. Non-electric decorations can also scare your trick-or-treaters. Instead of plugging in a few hundred fog machines to put your visitors in the Halloween spirit, build the perfect horror movie set at your door step. You could even dress up as Dracula!

3. Witches don’t drive. The nice thing about this holiday is walking around the neighborhood and getting to know your neighbors by scaring them for candy. Although, if you’re in a hurry this evening, be aware, witches and wizards are not immune to city traffic.

4. Join a Monster Bash. Coordinate or join a neighborhood Halloween party to use less energy. Avoid those energy vampires by lowering your heat when you leave your home and remember to unplug things you’re not using like laptop and cellphone chargers. You can save an average of $100 per year by unplugging these standby appliances. Just think about how much extra candy you could buy!

Whatever your Halloween plans are, have a safe and frightening Halloween! If you still have chills after Halloween and believe a poltergeist occupies your home, instead of calling the Supernatural guys, call your local contractor to expel those spirits away by insulating your coffin with insulation upgrades from our friends at CertainTeed!

Help, Help! I don’t know how to get a rebate!

Brrrrr! It’s a cold Friday here at GreenOhm… and most of the country. You might be thinking, “I should raise the temperature on my thermostat to avoid becoming a block of ice.” The problem is that this will not only make your home a lot more comfortable but could also lead to a higher utility bill. What’s the answer to this issue? A programmable thermostat. The EPA mentions that using a programmable thermostat could save you about $180 dollars per year. You might say to yourself, “This could be very expensive..” but never fear because rebates are here. There are multiple utilities that offer rebates, and some that offer free units for programmable thermostats. With a programmable thermostat, you could have different temperature settings that help you control your utility bills. Have a lower temperature setting for when no one is at home and a higher temp when you are at home! It’s much simpler than hiding under a mountain of blankets and less expensive than heating the water in the fish bowl! So how can you actually find a rebate for a programmable thermostat?

Don’t stress about it because GreenOhm has your back! Using our tools with Honeywell, we will explain how to find a rebate.

First we will ask you for your zip code. Based on this, our system will find utility companies that offer rebates for a programmable thermostat in your neck of the woods.

Select your natural gas or electricity provider. (Can’t find your provider? Comment below and we will investigate. Sometimes, certain utility providers do not offer incentives for programmable thermostats.)

Finally, if the way to claim your rebate is through this a mail-in application, a rebate PDF link will be present for you to download. Take special note of the cover page in the file as that has the detailed instructions (basically the nuts and bolts of how to claim your rebate) provided by GreenOhm. Why read all the small print and possibly forget something when our owl-eyed analysts can spot all those things for you!?!

In some cases, you might have to fill out an online application or call the utility provider to start the rebate process. Whatever the method, don’t stress about rebates, we have your back! Every possible detail, form, or certification you’ll need to receive your rebate is made easy with GreenOhm!