Energy saving in an American way: how in the USA achieve energy efficiency

How to turn an ordinary room into an energy-efficient home? As the cold weather approaches, everyone in Ukraine seems to be dealing with this issue. The constant rise in prices for utilities and the gas confrontation with Russia prompted ordinary Ukrainians to actively join the movement for energy efficiency - both in offices and in communication outside of work, one can often hear conversations about the advantages of boilers over centralized consumption of hot water, attracting “warm loans” and so on.

Фото: Depositphotos

All the greater was my surprise when, having moved to the outskirts of Washington, I did not see what is already becoming common in Ukraine - most of the premises do not have metal-plastic windows with double-glazed windows, or external wall insulation, or even just thick walls - predominantly residential buildings have walls made of pressed OSB panels. Some houses have solar panels on the roof. However, these are still a minority.

To preserve the historical flavor of “one-story America” and preserve nature, the surrounding areas of the American capital have to sacrifice some achievements in energy efficiency.

Electric supports that support networks have a very ancient appearance, and their fall during storms is not uncommon. However, such historical electro supports are more pleasing to the eye and give the landscape a historical flavor. Although the climate here is warmer than in Ukraine, at least once a year there can be significant snowfall, which often leads to an accident on the power grid, leaving entire areas without electricity for the duration of repair work that is carried out really quickly and using modern technology.

It seems that a wave of energy efficiency has bypassed America. However, this impression is deceptive: from my experience I saw that the system actually works efficiently, stimulating to save energy.

Here are some ideas that Ukrainian energy companies from America could borrow to make customer relationships transparent and efficient.

There is absolutely no fee “for that guy”

The energy bill is tied to the individual, not the home. The account moves with you from one room to another. If we are talking about a family, then the family must determine the person responsible for the “household”, to whom the electricity bill will be recorded.

When a house is changed, both subsidies and debts are retained by the person. Therefore, the question of whether previous residents had debts, whether there was a subsidy in the apartment, etc., do not appear when selling or renting housing.

The question of whether your neighbors pay bills in the United States simply does not arise. This allows you to avoid outrageous situations like the one that two of my friends from Kiev had to endure this winter when they received letters from the energy supplier that, despite the fact that they paid for the heat in a disciplined way, the services would not be fully provided due to insufficient payment. whole house. It became unpleasant news and did not stimulate to save at all.

The energy company treats consumers as friends in the matter of energy conservation

Am I saving energy? How much energy does my household use compared to 100 similar households? How has my energy consumption changed over time? How does my energy conservation help the area where I live? I can get answers to all these questions in the monthly letter from the power company or on their website. This “competition with neighbors” is also encouraged by the fact that energy saving provides a real opportunity to reduce electricity bills from 100 to 50 dollars a month.

The power company is actively attracting consumers to regulate peak loads.

In Maryland, the peak load on the power grid occurs for several days in the summer, when the heat forces everyone to use air conditioning. The power company provides discounts on electricity for reducing current consumption during this time. How does this happen in practice? If you sign up for the program, a red light turns on on your thermostat, which regulates the power supply, and you are physically unable to turn on the current.

The company installs smart thermostats for free, which allows it to more effectively distribute peak load on its networks.

In Kiev, however, people themselves organize such energy-saving actions, but due to the unpredictability of sharp surges in energy consumption for energy utilities, such actions are reportedly often a problem, not a relief.

What to do to save energy?

If the energy consumer is really in the mood to save it, the energy supply company offers to audit the premises: representatives of the energy company can even visit your house with tips on improving energy efficiency, as well as conduct a full audit and assessment of energy efficiency. All this will cost 100 dollars.

The energy company also offers various types of partnerships that will allow the careful consumer to save money on the purchase of related products. Discounts through such partnerships are provided on a variety of products - from energy-saving light bulbs certified by the program, household appliances to... a new home. The company may also take your old but working refrigerator or freezer and give you a small fee to keep it out of the landfill.

The original column is published on the website. Ukrainian service "Voices of America".

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