Utility Company Freebies

[LuciusCaecilius]

Small win last week.  When we moved into our house the previous tenant left an older fridge in the garage.  I don't really want to pay for a beer/soda fridge to run (and we don't buy soda...), so we've never turned it on and it just sat in the corner.  I figured I would eventually pay for it to be hauled away.  Last week the utility company sent a flyer with the bill that not only will they take the fridge away for free but they'll pay me $35!  Then I also filled out a form they noted online to get a low flow showerhead, sink aerator, and a handful of LED bulbs completely free!  We have been 100% LED except for the bathroom, so this will complete the house.  Since finding MMM our electricity bill has gone from $165+ to around $100 per month.  Small incremental changes really add up.

[ChipmunkSavings]

Congratulations, that's awesome! Our utility company also offers low-flow showerheads, but for a price.

[misshathaway]

Massachusetts people - MassSave does some of the same via its free home energy audit. I think it's funded by Eversource (local electric co).

[Murr]

I just did the same here in PA with PECO. They had a $25 "special" for a home energy audit. The audit itself was pretty worthless but they did bring LED's and powerstrips. They ended up replacing whatever I asked them to. Had 12 bulbs replaced in the basement alone!

[EfficientEngineer]

Very cool.  Whats the incentive for the utility company to do this?  Were they given a grant of some sort and needed to spend money on green projects?  It seems that having you use less energy while good, would be bad for their bottom line.

[letired]

Very cool.  Whats the incentive for the utility company to do this?  Were they given a grant of some sort and needed to spend money on green projects?  It seems that having you use less energy while good, would be bad for their bottom line.

I think it has to do with their green energy targets and/or reducing future capital expenses. If people use less energy, then there is less need to build new power plants in the future and it takes a smaller bump to get them to their percentage target for green/renewable sourced power. It's probably also somewhat dependent on how for-profit the company is.

I also live in a fast-growing drought-prone area. Reducing per-capita water usage is critical for this area to even exist.

[EfficientEngineer]

Very cool.  Whats the incentive for the utility company to do this?  Were they given a grant of some sort and needed to spend money on green projects?  It seems that having you use less energy while good, would be bad for their bottom line.

I think it has to do with their green energy targets and/or reducing future capital expenses. If people use less energy, then there is less need to build new power plants in the future and it takes a smaller bump to get them to their percentage target for green/renewable sourced power. It's probably also somewhat dependent on how for-profit the company is.

I also live in a fast-growing drought-prone area. Reducing per-capita water usage is critical for this area to even exist.

That makes sense, but I'd still think that having to build extra power plants would be a boon for them, higher demand is never a bad thing in business.

[sokoloff]

Massachusetts people - MassSave does some of the same via its free home energy audit. I think it's funded by Eversource (local electric co).

Well, it's really funded by the energy efficiency program surcharge on your utility bill, but it's still a good program.

We did the audit and got LED bulbs for every fixture that didn't already have them (and where they carried a compatible LED on the truck), a couple free energy saving power strips, and something else that I can't remember at the moment. He also tested the ancient boiler (to validate it ran and was old enough to qualify for a rebate-we still haven't pulled the trigger on that) and the water heater for proper function, recommended I add a CO detector nearby to the ancient boiler (I did, at my expense).

All in all, good program and they weren't pushy about anything.

[misshathaway]

Well, it's really funded by the energy efficiency program surcharge on your utility bill, but it's still a good program.

Well that finally answers my question about why a company selling energy wants the customer to use less.

[tj]

Nice! My local gas company will give a $5 rebate for a low flow showerhead. Maybe customers aren't being nickeled and dimed on as many fees to support the program. :D