New Energy Future News

PHILADELPHIA—PennEnvironment urged lawmakers today to take action to reduce the burden of soaring energy costs while highlighting easy steps Pennsylvania homeowners can take to reduce their heating costs this winter.

Homeowners and businesses across the country will face billions of dollars in additional heating costs this winter—expenditures that could cause serious economic hardship. Experts agree that the overall costs to state economies more than justify an emergency effort to reduce fuel consumption and improve the energy efficiency of homes and businesses before winter sets in.

“Consumers who are getting hit by skyrocketing bills this winter need common clean energy solutions—not more giveaways to big oil,” said PennEnvironment energy advocate Nathan Willcox. “In Pennsylvania, we are expected to have home heating costs rise by 34 percent this winter.”

High prices have prompted some to call for more drilling on public lands and an increase in off-shore drilling—including in Lake Erie. “Developing new supplies of oil and gas will do nothing to reduce high prices this winter. Instead, the fastest, cheapest and cleanest forms of relief from these price increases come from energy efficiency ,” said Willcox.

PennEnvironment also walked through a Philadelphia home with local weatherization expert Nick Blassmann to show how homeowners can weatherize their homes, demonstrating that even small steps in individual homes can make a huge impact in reducing costs.

At an event held at Abby Feinstein’s home near the corner of 12th and Tasker Streets in Philadelphia, PennEnvironment demonstrated how homeowners can set a good example for the state and federal government by reducing their energy use.

“Not only should all Pennsylvanians do their part in reducing energy costs, but Congress and our state government should also take action to move toward cleaner and safer renewable forms of energy, help consumers most in need this winter, and make all appliances as efficient as possible,” said Willcox.

PennEnvironment’s tips on how to easily reduce home energy costs included using energy efficient light bulbs, reducing hot water heater temperatures, tightening windows and filling gaps and cracks in windows in the home.

PennEnvironment research found that if all windows were as efficient as the best products now widely available in the marketplace, the average household would save $150 a year, and reduce its global warming emissions by about 4,300 pounds per year. According to Willcox, cheaper methods like insulating windows during colder months with transparent film that keeps the heat in and the cold out are also effective.

PennEnvironment called on lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg to act to achieve reductions in home heating costs over the long term. PennEnvironment recommended a number of steps to reduce heating costs, including accelerating and extending energy efficiency tax incentives for buildings.

PennEnvironment also called on Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to support a Renewable Portfolio Standard, (RPS) that would increase the amount of renewable energy produced nationwide. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has said that requiring major electric companies to gradually increase sales of electricity from wind, solar and other renewable sources to 10 percent by 2020 would save consumers more than $22 billion and reduce the cost of natural gas. Such a renewable portfolio standard would also create more than 90,000 jobs, foster rural economic development and reduce emissions that cause global warming.

PennEnvironment called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue long-overdue minimum energy efficiency performance standards for certain appliance and equipment products including furnaces.DOE has repeatedly ignored legal deadlines requiring it to issue minimum energy efficiency performance standards for over twenty kinds of power-thirsty appliances and equipment on which consumers and businesses depend.

Willcox called on state governments to set a tone for the public in how they use energy. Businesses and individual consumers are more likely to take energy conservation seriously if they see public officials conserving energy. PennEnvironment identified several steps Pennsylvania lawmakers in Harrisburg can take to “lead by example” in the energy crisis and, at the same time, save taxpayers money. These included initiating energy audits of government buildings and immediately implementing all cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities, according to PennEnvironment.

“States should also allocate funds for municipalities and state-affiliated institutions such as universities to conduct energy audits and to assist them in implementing recommended changes,” said Willcox.

PennEnvironment is a statewide, non-profit environmental advocacy organization with more than 15,000 citizen members across Pennsylvania. Additional information about PennEnvironment and our work on energy issues can be found at www.PennEnvironment.org.