Improve your efficiency and comfort this winter

Groundhog day is here and the prediction is in: there are six more weeks of winter ahead of us. While it can be tempting to huddle up and wait for spring, make the most of these next few weeks while also saving energy and keeping your home warm and cozy.

Here are three tips save energy while waiting for spring to arrive:

1. Use programmable thermostats to regulate temperature: With a programmable thermostat, you can set your home to be warm when you need it, and energy efficient when you don’t. This way, you don’t have to worry about constantly adjusting the temperature yourself or leaving it on all day when you’re away.
2. Unplug electronics when not in use: Electronics use standby power even when they’re turned off, so unplugging them when you’re not using them can save a surprising amount of energy. Consider using a power strip to make this process easier.
3. Seal air leaks around windows and doors: Drafts can let a lot of warm air escape from your home, making your heating system work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature. Sealing these leaks is an easy and inexpensive way to retain warmth and reduce energy usage.

With these tips in mind, you can make the most of the next six weeks of winter and keep your home comfortable and energy efficient. And who knows, by the time spring arrives, you might be pleasantly surprised by the savings you’ve seen on your energy bill!

Electric vehicle shoppers can research and compare models before test drives

FORT COLLINS, Colo., September 28, 2022 – Utility customers from Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland can now research and compare electric vehicles (EVs) through a uniquely tailored website launched by Efficiency Works, a collaboration of efficiency programs between the communities and Platte River Power Authority (Platte River).

The website – EV.EfficiencyWorks.org – provides an EV guide for customers to learn about fully electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid vehicles and make useful comparisons to traditional vehicles. Comparisons reveal differences in total estimated cost of ownership, including retail price (less any federal and/or state incentives), maintenance, insurance and resale value, considering local electric rates, fuel costs and taxes. Efficiency Works produced the EV website as a resource to help customers make educated decisions on their EV purchases.

“Platte River and our owner communities are committed to providing utility customers with the resources they need to make informed decisions about purchases impacting their energy use,” said Jason Frisbie, general manager and chief executive officer for Platte River Power Authority. “The new EV website is another example of our joint commitment to utility customers and will be a useful tool in evaluating the total cost of EV ownership.”

A full demonstration of the new EV website will be conducted by Platte River via Zoom this Thursday, Sept. 29 at 2:30 p.m. MDT. Anyone interested in discovering the information offered on this website, how to use the vehicle comparison tool, and general navigation can attend by simply following the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81904755403

Efficiency Works assists residential and commercial customers of Platte River’s owner communities improve their overall energy efficiency and consumption habits through energy advising and education, assessments and rebates. The EV website is the latest resource offered by the local program.

Don’t waste water at your home or business

It’s time to check the sprinkler system at your home or business. Ensuring your system is optimized and ready to go for summer can save you the hassle of emergency repairs and expensive water bills. Consider the following tips to save energy, water and money when caring for your lawn:

1. Water only when your lawn needs it – install a WaterSense-labeled irrigation controller to avoid watering when it’s not needed. Efficiency Works offers up to a $50 rebate on WaterSense controllers – visit EfficiencyWorksStore.com or apply for your rebate after purchase at EWRebates.com.
2. Water during the coolest parts of the day – watering in the morning reduces evaporation.
3. Make sure sprinklers are not spraying into parking lots or driveways – this wastes water!
4. Check for and fix leaks and broken sprinkler heads – a broken head can waste 25,000 gallons of water in six months.

Along with energy efficiency services, Efficiency Works also offers rebates on many water-saving products for your home or business. To learn more, visit EfficiencyWorks.org.

How your home can benefit

Is the temperature of your home sometimes uncomfortable? Are your utility bills too high? If so, you might benefit from an Efficiency Works Homes efficiency assessment. Supported by your utility, Efficiency Works offers three levels of assessments that connect you with energy experts, virtually or in your home. During an assessment, your energy expert performs a visual inspection of your home, including windows, doors and insulation, takes specific measurements and performs diagnostic testing to determine your home’s overall efficiency.

Following your assessment, your expert advisor will deliver you a customized, detailed report of the findings and a variety of suggestions to improve the efficiency of your home. Efficiency Works staff can help you solicit bids for your project, choose a contractor and even complete the rebate application after your upgrades are done.

To learn more about efficiency assessments and how your home can benefit, visit EfficiencyWorks.org/homes/efficiency-audits.

5 easy tips to save energy (and water) in your home

As you start to use air conditioning, save energy, water and money following these five easy tips:

1. Turn the lights off when you leave the room
2. Unplug your phone charger and other electronics when you leave the room
3. Only run the dishwasher or washing machine when they are full and wash your clothes in cold water
4. Avoid standing in front of an open refrigerator/freezer door
5. Water-saving tip: turn the sink off when you brush your teeth!

Your home may benefit from transitioning to LED lighting or installing a smart thermostat for heating and cooling. Efficiency Works offers multiple ways to receive rebates on efficiency products – learn more at https://efficiencyworks.org/homes/retail-products/.

Improving energy efficiency for income-qualified communities

In 2021, Efficiency Works Business launched the Community Efficiency Grant. The grant is available to non-profit businesses and multifamily properties that serve Platte River’s income qualified community. The grant provides 1.5 times the standard Efficiency Works Business rebate, covering up to 100% of an efficiency upgrade project. The grant enables organizations that may not otherwise be able to finance projects to improve their efficiency and decrease their future utility costs.

Fifty-eight organizations in Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland took advantage of the Community Efficiency Grant in 2021, including the Food Bank for Larimer County, Habitat for Humanity and the Fort Collins Rescue Mission. All participants conducted major lighting upgrades, receiving more than $1 million in rebates and saving nearly 2,500 MWh per year. The projects made up more than 14% of Efficiency Works Business rebate projects in 2021, compared to 0.4% in 2019.

To apply for the Community Efficiency Grant, click here.

Efficiency Works helps customers transition to energy efficient LED bulbs

Daylight dwindles in the winter, requiring us to rely more on light bulbs to illuminate our everyday activities. Are you using the best bulb for your needs? Replacing older, incandescent bulbs with LEDs can save time, energy and money. ENERGY STAR® rated LEDs use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

There are two ways to receive rebates on residential lighting upgrades with Efficiency Works:

1. In-store: You can purchase lighting from local home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s and receive an instant rebate on select LED lighting options.
2. Online: If you prefer to shop online, the Efficiency Works Store offers customers a one-stop-shop solution for their efficiency needs – shoppers get instant rebates on products like smart thermostats, LED lighting and more.

In 2021, Efficiency Works provided rebates for more than 115,000 LED bulbs, saving more than 2,000 MWh of energy each year.

To learn more about how you can upgrade your home lighting or participate in other Efficiency Works programs, visit www.EfficiencyWorks.org/homes.

Cold weather will be here soon. Is your home ready?

Here are the top five tips to optimize your home’s energy usage for winter:  

1. Check and/or replace your air filter
2. Make sure air vents and/or baseboard heaters are not blocked by anything in your home
3. “Test drive” your HVAC system before the cold weather – listen for any odd noises or rattles
4. Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans – they should run clockwise during the winter, drawing cool air upward and forcing warm air downward and counterclockwise in the summer
5. Get your HVAC system inspected by a local contractor

Contact an Efficiency Works service provider to have a professional efficiency assessment performed on your home. Assessments can be done in-person at your home or virtually. Click here to learn more.

Contact [email protected] with any additional questions.

Efficiency Works Business saves local school districts energy and money

All four school districts in Platte River’s owner communities have participated in the Efficiency Works Business program. Completing nearly 100 efficiency upgrades since 2018, including upgrading both indoor and outdoor lighting to LED bulbs, these districts have saved a combined 2.4 million kWh – enough to power 300 homes and saving nearly $200,000 a year on utility bills.

Both Poudre School District and Thompson School District participate in the Efficiency Works Energy Management program designed to help large organizations get the most energy savings. Poudre School District Sustainability Manager Trudy Trimbath affirms the impact of Efficiency Works:

“The Efficiency Works Business rebates program is streamlined, customer friendly and easy to use. Efficiency Works staff are extremely knowledgeable and helpful throughout the process. Without this program, this project would have taken several years to complete instead of a couple months.“

Efficiency Works Business continues to help commercial customers in our owner communities save energy, water and money so they can invest back into their organizations.

For more information, please contact our team at [email protected] with any additional questions.