There are two main reasons to cut our energy use:

Lower Bills

The only sure way to cut our energy bills is to use less energy. It's that simple. Regardless of whether oil prices are going up or down, making our homes more energy efficient is a smart investment.

• An energy audit from the Energy Co-op of Vermont is an excellent place to start.
• If your heating system is more than fifteen or twenty years old, you should consider replacing it with a new heat pump, or one of the new energy-fficient furnaces or boilers.
• Heat pump hot water heaters are now a very attractive investment.
• Over the past ten years, many Co-op members have installed pellet stoves to reduce fossil fuel use and to heat their homes with a renewable source of energy.

Climate Change

Each gallon of heating oil or kerosene that we burn to warm our homes produces about 22 lbs. of carbon dioxide - the main greenhouse gas. The best way to reduce these emissions is to use less energy. Vermont has two goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions:

• 40% reduction below 1990 levels by 2030, and
• 80% to 95% reduction below 1990 levels by 2050.

These goals are part of Vermont's ambitious 2016 Comprehensive Energy Plan which aims to meet 90% of Vermont's total energy needs from renewable sources by 2050 - and to advance economic, environmental and health objectives. In addition to these benefits, all Vermonters - both ourselves and future generations - would benefit from cleaner air and a stable climate. The cleanest energy source is the energy we don't use.

Energy Upgrades for Vermont Homes

The Energy Co-op of Vermont, along with dozens of local businesses and Vermont's Weatherization Offices are busy doing this work, saving Vermont homeowners up to 30% on their energy bills and making their homes more comfortable.

Members of the Energy Co-op of Vermont are doing their part too. Since 2001 our members have reduced their heating oil and kerosene use by an average of 110 gallons a year! We’ve collected some of their stories about adding insulation, sealing air leaks, replacing old heating equipment, installing heat pumps and solar hot water systems and burning wood pellets. Home by home, our members are making a real difference.