Energy Efficiency
Coastal is fully committed to bringing cost-effective, energy-saving measures to home and business owners\renters on the Cape & Islands. By working through the Cape Light Compact, Coastal can now offer residents and merchants generous, utility-driven rebates for a wide range of energy efficiency measures.
So, what measures can you have performed for your home or business at low or no cost?
1. Air Sealing – homes, regardless of how and\or when they are constructed, almost always suffer from costly air leakage
Fortunately, sealing many of the leaks experienced by the typical home can be performed at no cost to you thanks to the rebates being offered by the state's energy utilities in conjunction with organizations like the Cape Light Compact
2. Installation of Energy-Efficient Lighting – in conjunction with a FREE energy assessment, Cape residents & merchants can take advantage of no-cost installation of energy-saving light bulbs (such as compact fluorescents, CFLs, and light-emitting diodes, LEDs) throughout your home\business
The typical energy-efficient lamp (light bulb) can save up to 75% of the amount of energy consumed by a standard, incandescent light bulb…without compromising the level of light produced by the lamp
the "color" and "warmth" produced by energy-saving lamps (compared to incandescent bulbs) can be another issue, but this is one area worthy of discussion and demonstration, so contact us if you'd like to speak about the pros and cons of energy-efficient lighting options
3. Insulation – comfort and efficiency can be achieved by investing in insulation measures for your home\business
In Massachusetts, heating costs easily trump cooling costs, but with the right amount of insulation you can be assured that your home\business will be free from high energy bills all year round (as insulation works both to keep heat in during the winter, while keeping the heat out during the summer)
The State's energy efficiency programs offer you the potential to have up to 75% of the cost of insulation measures (up to a $2,000 incentive) covered by direct rebates
A host of other efficiency measures, for which financial incentives are offered, exist as well, such as:
High-Efficiency Heating & Cooling Systems- whether you heat\cool your home with natural gas, oil, propane, and\or electricity, incentives exist to assist in the purchase and installation of high-efficiency heating\cooling equipment
When combined with air sealing and insulation measures, heating\cooling costs can be dramatically reduced by investing in high-efficiency heating\cooling systems
Case Study – 12 Elm Drive, Harwich, MA: After performing air sealing and insulation for this home (for a post-rebate total of roughly $600), the house was efficient enough to accommodate a much smaller, high-efficiency boiler (heating system) and hot water heater (connected directly to the boiler)
The results: Increased comfort from day one, with projected energy savings of about $800-$900 per year (and if you have your doubts about this, we suggest that you listen to this testimonial by the homeowner: INSERT LINK TO TESTIMONIAL
4. Efficient Appliances – the average refrigerator, room air conditioner, and\or dehumidifier—manufactured to lax energy efficiency standards (which covers the majority if refrigerators in homes and businesses)—can be a silent energy guzzler
Fortunately, the Cape Light Compact can offer you rebates for a wide variety of ENERGY STAR rated appliances
For example, take your primary refrigerator, which can cost upwards of $300 a year to operate, and swap it out for a new, efficient model and you can see the investment in a new refrigerator paid back in under 5 years; or look into recycling your second refrigerator (which can be removed for free, with a $50 incentive to boot)
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