Saving energy could be a click away

Tag : energy saving pump
For those looking to save some cash as fuel pricesrise, help may be just a click away.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is offering free home energy savingkits when customers complete an online energy audit atwww.energyright.com.

The free kit includes two compact fluorescent light bulbs that use75-percent less energy than traditional bulbs, a filter whistlethat sounds when an air filter needs to be changed, outlet andlight switch gaskets for insulation and two faucet aerators to savewater.

Cookeville Electric Department Director Tony Peek said that 325,000electric customers across the Tennessee Valley have alreadycompleted the energy audit and received the free kits.

The Tennessee Valley includes all of Tennessee and six surroundingstates.

CED Marketing Representative Karen Brown said the energy kits areavailable to TVA customers including Cookeville electric customerswho complete the energy audit through Sept. 30.

Brown said that in order to complete an energy audit, you need tohave a copy of your most recent electric bill as well as somecommon information about your home.

"If you follow the audit's recommendations, you could savehundreds of dollars each year," Brown said.

People who don't have the Internet can call the Cookeville ElectricDepartment to get a hard copy of the audit they can complete forthe free energy kit.

Peek noted that the energy audit is just one of the pilot projectsbeing conducted now by TVA to get a handle on what energy-savingprojects are worth pursuing.

"They're trying to find out what the savings will be," hesaid. "There are so many things they're looking at to reduceenergy. This is to determine if they're economically worthpursuing."

Peek serves on the TVA Energy Efficiency Marketing Committee, whichis constantly exploring new energy saving ideas through pilotprojects.

Another product of that committee coming up this fall is a NationalChildren's Theatre.

"We're going to be contacting six elementary schools inCookeville and seeing if they're interested in us providing thisshow school-wide," Peek said. "It will be teachingchildren how to 'conserve to preserve for futuregenerations.'"

The Cookeville Electric Department also has a number of otherenergy saving programs available.

Brown said that if you purchase an electric water heater, you get a$100 rebate check from the electric department as well as an energysaving kit.

"We also offer a heat pump program," she said. "Youcan finance an energy efficient heat pump, and we can help withfinancing."

The department also offers an in-home energy audit inspection froman independent contractor for $50.

"He will do a walk through and make recommendations,"Peek said. "He looks at windows, insulation, duct work andlighting."

The department offers the Green Power Switch program in whichcustomers pay $4 per block of green power, and TVA uses that moneyto generate power through a renewable source such as solar energy.

And city officials are looking at their energy consumption as wellto see what they can do to conserve.

Peek said that an energy audit of Cookeville City Hall has recentlybeen conducted, and an energy audit on the drama center is inprogress.

"We're doing a tremendous amount of things," Peek said."One of the coolest things is being on the energy efficiencymarketing committee and being on the cutting edge of these newthings."