It truly does pay to be a conservation sensation
Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) and its customers again have hit an all-time high for energy conservation, saving nearly 9.3 average-megawatts of energy in 2011 – enough to serve about 7,000 homes. Collectively, consumers and businesses reduced their energy bills by more than $6 million.
PUD residential customers completed a range of weatherization projects – including added insulation, efficient heat pumps and energy-efficient windows – taking advantage of the utility’s Hot Summer Savings promotion. In addition, the PUD has sold 4.5 million compact fluorescent light bulbs through a local retail network in the past decade.
“Our customers have realized huge energy savings by participating in PUD conservation programs that offer rebates, incentives and other resources,” said PUD Assistant General Manager of Customer & Energy Services Jim West.
“As a utility, we’re focused on providing new tools, technologies and service delivery approaches to make saving energy as easy as possible for our customers,” said PUD Board of Commissioners President Kathleen Vaughn.
Business customers completed 750 projects with the PUD and through other regional energy efficiency programs. The utility provided incentives and continued to strengthen partnerships with contractors and retailers to streamline the process for projects. Business projects included efficiency measures at the Brightwater Treatment Center, several local school districts and the new medical tower at Providence Regional Medical Center.
More than 5,000 homes and 170 local businesses have benefitted from the PUD’s Community Power! program in the past two years, which supported energy-efficiency measures including lighting upgrades, efficient windows and low-flow showerheads – in neighborhoods throughout Snohomish County.
The PUD raised awareness of conservation through its award-winning Be a Conservation Sensation campaign, which helps customers identify new ways to save energy and money. The PUD also continued to promote its Energy Challenge, a call-out to customers to reduce their energy use by 10 percent. To date, 4,600 customers have pledged to reduce their energy use.
For more information about specific PUD conservation programs, customers can call the PUD Energy Hotline at 425-783-1700 or visit www.snopud.com.
April 18, 2012
Everett