Beyond Dollars and Cents – to a Sense of Comfort
- January 17, 2019
- Heat Smart
Happy New Year! We’re looking forward to kicking off the year with our Association of Energy Services Professionals (AESP) friends in San Antonio next week at their 29th Annual Conference. We’re especially looking forward to the “Changing Behavior…is Changing” presentation on Monday. As programs get more sophisticated, the industry is looking into the additional benefits of energy efficiency that may drive behavior change, beyond the initial monetary savings. These “non-energy benefits” can sometimes be more important to participants than the savings.
These include:
- An added sense of comfort.
- Added sense of control over their bill.
- Reduced fear of shutoffs.
- Less time lost dealing with bill-related calls to utilities.
- An increased sense of independence due to reduced reliance on low-income fuel assistance programs.
- Added breathing room for the rest of their budget.
- Increased knowledge of energy efficiency.
These behavior-changing benefits are built right in to every Heat Smart Kit, which empowers families to save energy and stay comfortable during cold winters. Here’s what Heat Smart Kit users say:
“It was nice to have money left over at the end of the month.” Burleigh D, Fairmont NC
“It showed me how easy it is to be efficient, and I was able to spend the savings on groceries.” Erica F, Wilmington NC
“The blankets kept me comfortable even while turning the heat down
and the weatherstripping helped with cold air leaking around doors.” David H., Fairmont NC
Heat Smart is looking to partner with more community action agencies, government programs, tribes and utilities to bring these benefits to more low-income families. What’s more, our proven program can help you: stretch your assistance budget, increase efficiency program adoption rates, achieve key energy policy goals, and meet federal assistance mandates.
If you’re interested in exploring these idea more, stop by and see us at Booth 108 at AESP or contact us any time.