Energy efficiency a cost-effective tool to ensure lights stay on

By Snohomish County PUD

Kevin Watier and Jay Snyder are energy efficiency experts at Snohomish County PUD.

It’s a job they’ve had for a combined 74 years, and one they love. Over those years they have helped Snohomish County residents make their homes more efficient, saving them energy and money at the same time.

It’s a bit of an odd job: Help customers use less of their employer’s product. But it’s increasingly important. Research on how the PUD will meet energy demand in the future shows that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective tool to ensure lights stay on for the customers of tomorrow. Simply put, it’s cheaper and more environmentally sustainable to help customers save energy than to build a power plant to produce it.

In the past, the PUD made house calls and performed personal walk-throughs with customers to help find ways to save energy. Today, the PUD has an online tool called Home Energy Profile (snopud.energysavvy.com) for customers to input their information and discover energy efficiency changes they can take right now.

Just in time for October’s Energy Awareness Month, here are some energy saving tips directly from the PUD energy efficiency experts on how to assess your home’s energy use:

Work outside-in: Watier and Snyder advise walking around the outside of the home, jotting down notes about different items such as windows, (frame type single or double pane, how well they seal and the existing caulking condition), doors, (wood, metal or fiberglass, how well they seal to existing weather-stripping) and exterior lighting (what type, are they incandescent, CFL or LED).

The idea is to make sure that the warm air being pumped out by the furnace stays inside. By looking at the mentioned items above, you can start to compile a list of possible things that can be improved.

“Caulking and weather-stripping windows and doors is an affordable and easy way to make your home more energy efficient,” Watier said.

The windows themselves are also important. If you see single-pane metal windows on a home, Watier and Snyder know that precious warm air is escaping. They advise replacing single and sometimes double-pane metal windows with more efficient windows with a U-value of 0.30 or less. It’s pricier, but the PUD does offer rebates on window or sliding glass door upgrades for electrically heated homes. For more information, visit snopud.com/weatherization.

Inside inspection: After covering the outside, the conservation duo recommend taking a look at what’s going on inside the home. First, inspect the home’s heating source and make sure everything is in fine working order. Check to see if furnace filters have been changed recently — something that should be done every three months or so — and ensure baseboards and air vents are clear of obstructions to air flow. You should also look to see if it’s time to upgrade the entire system.

“A high-efficiency heat pump can reduce electricity consumption you use to heat by as much as 50 to 60%,” Snyder said. Check out snopud.com/heating for rebates on ducted or ductless heat pumps.

Next up, the thermostat. If a customer doesn’t have a smart thermostat, Watier and Snyder might recommend installing one in the right situations. If used correctly, smart thermostats can learn your schedule and be programmed for maximum efficiency. For PUD rebates on smart thermostats, visit smartrewards.snopud.com.

The water heater is quietly one of the biggest energy hogs in the home. Watier and Snyder suggest checking the temperature the water heater is set at, recommending 120 degrees to save energy and prevent scalding. You can also flush sediment out of the water heater every couple of years to help it work more efficiently.

“If your water heater is 10 years old or older, you may want to consider replacing it with a heat pump water heater,” Watier said. “They are far more efficient.” For PUD rebates on heat pump water heaters, visit snopud.com/hpwh.

Smart Savers: Finally, they recommend customers look over the PUD’s Smart Savers brochure, which is full of energy efficiency tips, from free and DIY to pricier wholesale upgrades. For a look at the brochure, visit snopud.com/Site/Content/Documents/energysvcs/Smart-Savers_518.pdf.