Efficiency Vermont to launch statewide Home Energy Challenge

Burlington, VT

Beginning in January 2013, Efficiency Vermont will launch a year-long effort designed to encourage more Vermonters to make their homes more energy efficient. Starting from today through the end of the year, town energy committees and other local groups throughout the state can sign their communities up to participate in the “Vermont Home Energy Challenge.”

Under the Challenge, which is being promoted in partnership with the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) and other organizations throughout the state, towns will set a target of weatherizing 3% of the homes in their community over the course of a year and fostering more public awareness and engagement in energy efficiency efforts. They can then measure their progress toward this goal along with that of other communities in their region and across the state. At the end of the year, towns, regions, and local partners will be recognized for the effectiveness of their efforts to encourage participation in their communities.

“The Home Energy Challenge is designed to build on the focus and enthusiasm of community groups that are engaging with their friends and neighbors around energy issues every day,” said Jim Merriam, Director of Efficiency Vermont. “Over the course of 2013 – and beyond – we will continue to seek innovative ways to support these efforts, and we are hoping that the Challenge will help inspire even more action to increase energy efficiency at the local level.”

Johanna Miller, Coordinator of VECAN, noted that recent years have seen a surge of interest in community-based energy efforts: “The goal of VECAN is to strengthen and support a grassroots movement that is growing throughout every corner of Vermont,” she said. “We are very excited by the potential of the Home Energy Challenge to further increase the momentum behind investing in energy efficiency and helping our state achieve its energy efficiency goals.”

As part of the Challenge, Efficiency Vermont and its partners will support a number of turnkey projects that local partners can implement in their communities, including home energy visits, door-to-door community outreach, home energy workshops, and free home energy saving kits.

Towns and organizations that want sign up for the Vermont Home Energy Challenge, or learn more about it may visit www.efficiencyvermont.com/homeenergychallenge.

About Efficiency Vermont

As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.

About the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network

The Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network's mission is to start and strengthen town energy committees as a powerful people-powered response to advancing efficient, renewable energy solutions -- www.vecan.net.

Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]