WALTHAM, MA – This Energy Efficiency Day, National Grid thanks its customers for helping to make Massachusetts a recognized energy efficiency leader. In advance of the winter heating season, the company is providing customers with additional energy savings tips and encouraging customers to save even more through a variety of small changes in their home that can help reduce their use and lower energy bills.

The Department of Energy has declared October Energy Awareness Month, and a coalition of energy efficiency groups has marked today, October 5, as Energy Efficiency Day. 

Helping customers save energy and save money is a key pillar of National Grid’s Winter Customer Savings Initiative, which launched last month to raise awareness of the ways customers can prepare for the winter and expected increases in electricity and natural gas bills.

As a sponsor of Mass Save, National Grid provides customers with ways to find low-cost energy efficient products for their home. Residential customers in Massachusetts can visit ngrid.com/shop and select “Massachusetts” from the menu to browse the Mass Save Marketplace for products such as programmable thermostats, LED lighting and advanced power strips, all of which can help save energy and save money.

National Grid also offers no-cost virtual or in person No-Cost Home Energy Assessments with a qualified energy specialist who will assess your current energy use and create a customized energy plan to make your home more energy efficient, while also providing access to no-cost energy-saving products and information on other rebates and incentives for which customers can qualify.  For example, customers looking to save on heating costs could be eligible for 75 percent or more off approved insulation improvements and no-cost targeted air sealing. 

“We want to thank our customers for helping to make Massachusetts a national leader in saving energy.  With a challenging winter season ahead, Energy Efficiency Day couldn’t be more timely to help raise awareness of the benefits energy efficiency can provide customers both in saving money and making their home more comfortable this winter.  That’s why National Grid is encouraging customers to take action to take advantage of programs offered by National Grid and Mass Save,” said Helen Burt, Chief Customer Officer, National Grid. “While replacing a thermostat or turning the temperature down a few degrees may seem minor, these actions can make a significant difference on energy bills. Through our Winter Customer Savings Initiative, we are working to inform customers of the power they have to control energy costs and make a positive impact on the environment.”

As the weather changes, customers should also revisit thermostat settings and ensure they are adjusted with the weather and the customer’s schedule. Using programmable thermostats to control heating and cooling when rooms are unoccupied can help save up to $180 a year. Also, lowering the settings on home water heaters to 120 degrees can help save energy and prevent scalding.

Customers can also save energy by being mindful of how appliances are utilized. For example, when running the dishwasher or clothes washer or dryer, running only full loads can help save. In addition, setting the temperature of the refrigerator to 38 degrees and reducing the amount of time the refrigerator and freezer are opened can reduce energy usage. According to energy.gov, lighting accounts for approximately 15 percent of a home’s electricity use and switching to energy-efficient LED lighting can save about $225 per year in energy costs.

Additional tips for customers to consider include:

• Weatherizing entry doors to keep your home comfortable. The average consumer loses $45-100 per year in heat loss.
• Perform regular heating and air conditioning maintenance. Change filters monthly to improve air quality and reduce energy use. Consider establishing a maintenance contract with your vendor for regular tune-ups, which help decrease equipment breakdowns and unnecessary air loss.
• Advanced power strips help control the amount of energy electronics use by automatically removing power from selected outlets when the master outlet is not in use, giving customers another way to save.

National Grid is committed to providing customers a variety of energy-saving tips and billing options to help offset increases in this winter’s energy prices. Customers in need of billing assistance or additional support can visit ngrid.com/heretohelp to learn more.

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