DETRIOT—
PIRGIM and WARM urged lawmakers today to take action to reduce the
burden of soaring energy costs while highlighting easy steps homeowners
can take to reduce their heating costs this winter.
Homeowners
and businesses will face billions of dollars in additional heating
costs this winter - expenditures that could cause serious financial and
economic hardship. Analysis of recent data showed 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. In Michigan, we are expected to have
a home heating costs rise by almost 50% this winter.
“Consumers
who are getting hit by skyrocketing bills this winter need clean energy
solutions not more giveaways to big oil,” said PIRGIM director Mike
Shriberg.
High
prices have prompted some to call for more drilling on public lands and
an increase in off-shore drilling. “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 Shriberg.
WARM
is a Detroit-based nonprofit that works with homeowners and housing
developers to show them how to save energy. Even small steps in
individual homes can make a huge impact in reducing costs.
“In
the short term, the biggest impact we can have as individuals and as a
state is to focus on energy efficiency,” said Bob Chapman, Executive
Director of WARM.
At an event held Detroit, WARM released the “Big 4” of low-cost energy savings, which include:
1. Sealing air leaks
2. Turning down/off thermostats, lights and appliances
3. Switching to Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs
4. Getting the whole household involved in energy efficiency
PIRGIM
research shows 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. Cheaper methods like insulating windows
during colder months with transparent film that keeps the heat in and
the cold out are also effective.
“Not
only should all Americans do their part in reducing energy costs,
Congress and state governments should also take action to move toward
cleaner and safer renewable forms of energy, help consumers most in
need this winter, reinstate utility energy efficiency programs, and
make all appliances as efficient as possible,” said PIRGIM Director
Mike Shriberg.
PIRGIM
called on the state Legislature to pass minimum energy efficiency
performance standards for certain appliance and equipment products
including furnaces. PIRGIM called on Governor Granholm 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. PIRGIM identified several steps
state governments can take to “lead by example” in the energy crisis
and, at the same time, save taxpayers money.
“Our
elected officials have a choice,” said Shriberg. “We can either
continue to follow our current, fatally flawed high consumption energy
path or we can make a serious commitment to energy efficiency.
Conserving energy means investing in our state’s economy, saving money
and protecting the Great Lakes. The choice should be easy.”
