Vermont is one of the greenest states in the country, with a huge portion of our energy coming from renewable sources. But, there are many fronts in which the state can work to improve, such as transportation and improved insulation.
A huge portion of the energy use goes toward heating homes in the winter, which seems obvious given the cold climate of our state. However, most homes in the state are old, and the insulation systems are outdated. The result of this is that more energy is spent to heat a home because of the poor insulation. Will Dodge, the chair of the Essex Energy Committee spoke on the importance of statewide weatherization efforts.
“That's where the greenhouse gases are, renewable energy is important, and we could but up a bunch of new solar and a bunch of new wind, but it's barely going to make a dent in the overall picture.”
“Truthfully, if you are looking at Vermont as a whole, and what people need to focus on for energy, dealing with the weatherization is far more important than just renewable energy.” Said Dodge.
Even if the environment is not a priority, for someone, this issue costs real money for people in the state. Vermonters spend far more on heating their homes than they would if their homes were more efficiently insulated. Because of this, the state offers many incentives on weatherization, to reduce the overall carbon impact of winter heating.
Companies such as Efficiency Vermont work to increase weatherization around the state, mostly by hiring contractors and construction workers to update existing insulation, as well as implementing new innovative technologies such as heat pumps that use electricity to heat homes, rather than the burning or natural gas, or other fossil fuels.
While the cost of weatherization can seem daunting, it saves much more money down the line and even immediate heat bills can be greatly reduced.. When Speaking with Becca White, the community engagement representative for Efficiency Vermont, she mentioned the challenge Vermonters have with the upfront costs of the programs offered by their company.
“What we often forget when having these conversations is that the cost that you're offsetting by weatherizating is oftentimes much greater than the cost of the project.” Said White
She also spoke further about the money she has also saved personally by weatherizing her home.
“We greatly lowered our expected heating fuel purchase and we also had a very low payment for the financing. We shifted the cost and lowered it very significantly by weatherizing. I think that that can get lost in the conversation and why some Vermonters might be hesitant.”
Weatherization projects and programs can provide a great way for people to lower their carbon impact, while also saving a good deal of money in the process.
