Since 1982, BPA’s Energy Efficiency Program has saved more than 2,357 average megawatts of electricity through its many energy-efficiency offers. These energy savings are equivalent to:
· Charging 1.87 trillion smartphones.
· Eliminating carbon emissions equivalent to more than 2 million passenger vehicles.
· Powering more than 1.7 million Northwest homes for a year.
· Funding 26,250 average-wage jobs in the Northwest.
BPA’s world class energy efficiency program saves millions of dollars each year, cuts pollution and creates thousands of jobs across the Northwest. Energy Efficiency Day, Oct. 6, 2021, celebrates EE as BPA’s number one energy resource after hydropower.
A goal of Energy Efficiency Day is to share tips to achieve energy savings. One focus of BPA’s residential energy-efficiency program is weatherization, which is the process of making a home more resistant to drafts and pollutants to keep the home comfortable year-round. Here are some homeowner tips you can use to make your home more weather resistant:
- Replace filters. Install a new furnace filter to improve indoor air quality, and help your HVAC system work more efficiently while using less energy. Use the change schedule recommended by the filter manufacturer.
- Wrap your water heater. Insulation blankets help keep the water in older water heater tanks warm and reduce energy lost during the water-heating process. Uninsulated water heater tanks or those valued at less than R-24 lose heat and are less efficient. Please note: newer water heaters with higher R-values should not be insulated.
- Install a door sweep. Add door sweeps to the bottom of exterior doors to provide a tight seal against drafts, and keep out the cold and moisture.
- Feel for air. Use a lit incense stick or smoke pencil to check for leaks where plumbing, ducting or wiring come through walls or floors. Seal with caulk or spray foam to keep unwanted drafts and moisture out of indoor spaces.
For more details on how BPA and its customers save money, visit this infographic.
- Seal your switches. Surprisingly, outlets and light switches on outside walls can be a source of unwanted drafts and heat loss. Inexpensive outlet and switch-sealing gaskets can improve weatherization and stop outside air infiltration.