Community Energy Service Cutting Costs

A new program called Community Energy Service is helping people save energy and money. A grant from the state's lottery money is now helping to pay for thousands of homes to become more energy efficenct.

Right now Apple Valley residents and people in certain Minneapolis neighborhoods qualify. All you do is go to a 45 minute workshop. There, you're taught basic ways to save on energy and your utility bills. At the end you can pay a 20 dollar co-pay, so an energy expert can come to your home and give you 400 dollars worth of energy saving upgrades. For instance, CFS light bulbs. Also many people can reduce water usage with a low flow shower head. You can also get outlet caps that reduce the air leakage in your home. And a diagnostic test with an air blower to establish how bad the leaks are in your house.

Judy Thommes, the Director of Marketing Center for Energy and Environment says, "its a unique program. Everybody's coming into energy efficiency at a different space. Some people have done all their lights. The have a thermostat, they put in a low flow showerhead and they are really looking to go that next step to insulate and air seal and maybe a mechanical upgrade of a heating system and their are some people that never thought about energy efficiency."

There's a somewhat similar program called the home energy squad, if you don't qualify for the workshop because you're not in the designated areas. You can pay a larger co-pay and have an expert still come to your home.

To find out if you qualify, all the information is on the website for minnesota's center for energy and environment at mncee.org. There's a workshop in Apple valley is this Saturday, April 24th.