Smart Strategies for a Cooler, Cost-Effective Home

What if you could cut your energy bills in half this summer? Learn how simple changes and smart strategies can make your home more energy-efficient than ever before! In this episode of Money Matters, I, Kim Chapman, am joined by Emma Meyerkoff and Jessica Hendricks from the Alliance for Affordable Energy to share life-changing tips on keeping your home cool and your wallet full. From sealing windows and doors to using Energy Star-rated appliances, we cover the essentials of home insulation and appliance efficiency. Emma and Jessica emphasize that good insulation and the right appliances play a crucial role in maintaining comfort and reducing energy consumption.

But that's not all—we also dive into everyday household chores to reveal how small tweaks can yield big savings. Discover why washing full loads with cold water, checking your refrigerator seals, and fully loading your dishwasher are game changers. Additionally, we discuss federal initiatives and programs designed to help low-income households, the elderly, and renters improve their energy efficiency. We wrap up with exciting news about "Jammin' for Justice," a community event celebrating sustainable energy efforts. Tune in to start saving money and making a positive impact on the environment!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Welcome to Money Matters, the podcast that focuses on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Now here is your host, ms Kim.

Speaker 2: 0:12

Chapman, welcome to another edition of Money Matters. I am your host, kim Chapman. Today we're shedding light on a crucial topic energy efficiency in our homes. Is it hot where you are? It's definitely hot where I am, and that means that our energy bills are going to be rising higher and higher as the summer comes along. So, joining me today, I have some special guests from Alliance for Affordable Energy. I have Ms Emma Myerkoff and Ms Jessica Hendr here to share some insights on how we can turn our homes into energy-saving champions. This is going to be really, really important. Hopefully, it will save us a lot of money, because I can only imagine if we're going to have another hot summer, how high those energy bills. So thank you, ladies, for joining me today.

Speaker 3: 0:58

Thank you, kim. We're glad to be here. Hey, everyone, yeah, thank you.

Speaker 2: 1:02

Thank you for having us. So do me a quick favor Tell us a little bit about each of yourselves, and then tell us about the mission of Alliance for Affordable Energy.

Speaker 1: 1:11

My name is Jessica Hendricks. I am the state policy director at the Alliance for Affordable Energy, so my work mainly focuses on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the LPSC. They're five elected commissioners and they make decisions on our utilities everything from electric utilities, gas utilities, even cell phones and towing companies and our role is mainly around shaping policy, both as a consumer advocate for mainly low-income customers, seniors, making sure that late fees are low, disconnection reconnection fees are low, we handle rate cases as well as rulemaking policies like energy efficiency and net metering, and we also act as an advocate for renewable energy for the state of Louisiana.

Speaker 3: 2:08

Yeah, I think Jessica said it. Well, I'm Emma Meyerkoff, I'm the Alliance's communications manager and I really see the Alliance as the watchdog for all Louisianans. You know, we're trying to amplify the voices of our communities when utilities want to raise electricity rates and I like to see myself in that puzzle as kind of the bridge between the technical policy work we do and the public, and so letting the public know all the work we're doing, advocating for affordable, equitable and environmentally responsible energy policy for the people of Louisiana.

Speaker 2: 2:39

Wow, it's good to know that we definitely have some advocates out there championing for us, trying to keep those costs low. So, as I mentioned when we started, it is hot, it's summer, the kids are home. Now we have to start cutting grass. I hear in the news we should pump our gas in the evening instead of the morning. So I want to pose the question to you what are some simple changes consumers can make to their daily routines to conserve energy over the summer?

Speaker 3: 3:04

I think I wanted to start here by saying you know you highlighted an important fact about kind of how much electricity we use. Louisiana residents use at least 30 percent more electricity than the average American household, and part of that is because of where we live, is the climate, but it's also due in part to our kind of historically charming but leaky and inefficient housing that's across the state and there's definitely some things that easy things that folks can do to kind of reduce their energy use as part of their daily routine. Jessica, you want to jump in maybe with a couple of those Sure?

Speaker 1: 3:36

sure? Yeah, I think, Emma, you touched on some really important statistics around our energy usage. Really important statistics around our energy usage, and it's not new news that we have a very humid climate. But I think the big factor is insulating your home and finding affordable programs to do so. Whether that's rebates for light bulbs, rebates for insulation, HVAC tune-ups, those are all going to go a long way to keep the energy costs down over the hot summer months.

Speaker 2: 4:11

Now there are a lot of energy quote-unquote energy-efficient appliances. How efficient are those in reducing electricity consumption over the summer?

Speaker 3: 4:21

Yeah, when you're looking for appliances, you always want to look for that Energy Star label. Energy Star lets you know that this is an efficient model In terms of appliances. Appliances account for like I think it's 15% of your household energy consumption, and refrigerators, you know. Washers and dryers are definitely at the top of that list. So using an Energy Star washer can use nearly about 35% less water and 25% less energy than standard washers. So there's a lot of gains that can be made by improving the efficiency of these appliances, which again can account for a big portion of your household's energy consumption.

Speaker 2: 5:00

And you talked a little about insulation, so I want to talk about that. What should consumers be looking to insulate? I know a couple of years ago, after the flood and we had to rebuild my parents' home, that was one of the things we did. We had some guys come out and they blew all the fuzzy stuff in the ceiling up in the attic and I know that over the next couple of years I noticed a reduction in terms of the energy bill. So what else, besides blowing insulation in the attic? What other types of ways can we improve insulation in our homes?

Speaker 1: 5:30

I can jump in here. I think windows are a big piece of the puzzle. We want to make sure that windows are sealed and that they are double-paned and insulated that's a big factor as well as any entry and exit ways from the house. You want to make sure that you have door seals to block out any airflow. Basically, you want to make sure that everything in your house stays in your house, both from an energy perspective as well as an air quality perspective. I think that's really important.

Speaker 3: 6:05

And I think Jessica highlights ways folks don't only think about right. You think about insulation as just your attic and, like Jessica said, it's a lot more than that. It's really making that barrier around your entire house to make sure that the cool air isn't leaking out and the hot air isn't leaking in.

Speaker 2: 6:22

So are there any particular products you know like DIY do-it-yourself products that we could do at home, or is this something that would need to be handled professionally to really make it effective?

Speaker 3: 6:33

I think that's a perfect transition to talk about home energy audits, or sometimes called building energy evaluations. This is what's a professional assessment of your home basically to assess the different ways in which your home consumes energy and is leaking energy. You know, as we talked about, a leaky home costs money and loses energy, and so this professional evaluation is really the best way to figure out where your house could be more efficient it uses. It basically is an evaluation that includes a walkthrough and an inspection. Sometimes it uses an infrared camera or a blower door and other techniques to reveal the really the areas where air is leaking. Now, that being said, you know about how you can kind of do a self-assessment and help pinpoint problem areas and prioritize the upgrades that you want to make to your home. So I would definitely say you know a more thorough an audit can get you a more thorough evaluation, but there are definitely steps that you can take as a homeowner or renter yourself.

Speaker 2: 7:40

So, in terms of the audit, in terms of a professional audit, can you give us a general idea of what we would be looking at for cost? And then, where would, who would we contact to have that done?

Speaker 3: 7:50

Yeah, great questions and there's a few ways to go about this. So there are some federal programs, weatherization assistance programs that are federally funded, programs that focus on helping the elderly, disabled and low-income households with energy efficiency upgrades. If you qualify for those programs, you can actually get a free assessment of your house and then work with that assessor to again evaluate the next steps for implementing some assessments, some upgrades. Utilities in Louisiana also offer weatherization assistance and some of these come with a free evaluation, like I mentioned, and some of them are based on your income levels and I'll let Jessica touch a little bit more on that. Those are administered by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, which we mentioned before, which is responsible for regulating utilities in our state, and there have actually been some developments in terms of energy efficiency programs at the LPSC.

Speaker 1: 8:44

Sure, and I can kind of jump in on this one I think the first step, aside from going to energygov, is contact your utility company. Right now we've got a handful of different programs. So, depending on your utility provider whether that's Energy Clico provider, whether that's Entergy, clico, slepto or any one of the co-ops Contact them and see kind of what is available. Generally, the first audit is free of charge. For some of the deeper pieces, as Emma was mentioning blow tests, things like that You're going to have to pay an upfront cost, but contact them and see kind of where things stand, what is available.

Speaker 1: 9:30

In terms of recent developments, we have now passed at the Louisiana Public Service Commission the LPSC has passed a phase two energy efficiency rules. So we expect them to be rolling out in the coming years I am hopeful for 2025. So we should be able to see just kind of an expanded pot of money for some of these upgrades and rebates for energy efficiency appliances, for insulation, for windows, things like that. So it's definitely something that is top of mind and something to really kind of pay attention to. But I think the first step really is for folks to call their utility company and see what's available.

Speaker 2: 10:16

Wow, that's some good information Now. Last summer, of course, it was really, really brutal and I tell you it was challenging for so many AC units. I remember going in order to make sure that your system is properly working in the summer and even able to keep up with the extreme heat that we may experience again.

Speaker 1: 10:49

It's extremely important to make sure that your HVAC system is tuned up and ready to go for the hot summer months. There's definitely been times where you know my AC is just constantly running and we want to make sure that those are running efficiently and effectively. There's no need for it to kind of just cycle through. So it's important to get annual HVAC tune-ups, and some of those are available through rebates and I want to stress that customers look towards some of those rebates and offers through utility-funded programs.

Speaker 3: 11:31

Yeah, Swepco has on their website. They will pay up to $3,500 to help you and so, like Jessica said, you can get money back for these upgrades and they really will help pay for themselves in the long run. And also, you know, I think something else, people, you kind of think about it as just like a spring cleaning. Right, Cleaning the dust off of something will help it run faster, run more efficiently and get the job done better. And after the air conditioner, the HVAC unit's been kind of sitting there all winter long collecting dust. It's especially important to make sure it's cleaned and tuned up and running as efficiently as it can.

Speaker 2: 12:06

I see it's very important to go ahead and get your unit maintenance, but can you recommend some smart technologies or programmable thermostats that can help consumers manage that energy usage? I know that's something that I'm very interested in. I still have the old-fashioned analog thermostat on the wall where you just kind of lift the lever up and down, but I've seen some of the nicer ones where you can set the time. You know, when I leave home go up to 75 degrees when I'm on my way home it can cool. I've even seen a couple of friends of mine that have thermostats that can be controlled by their cell phones. So what would you recommend?

Speaker 1: 12:40

Sure, smart thermostats are always a great idea. We talk about demand response as a form of energy efficiency, basically kind of lowering the energy demand, right? So when it's the hottest time of the day and everybody gets home and turns on all of their devices, all of their things, that's when we see the highest levels of energy. So if you can kind of mitigate that, it's going to really help the power grid. So smart thermostats can do that. You know, turn the AC down when you're not at home and you can turn it on from your smartphone on your way home so that when you get there the house is cooled down Again.

Speaker 1: 13:28

I think this is a big part of the energy efficiency programs to look for rebates in terms of these technologies. Nest is a big one. A lot of folks use them. A lot of utilities provide rebates for some of those we don't endorse products. But any smart thermostat will do the trick for that, allow you to control the AC and the heat in the winter when you're not at home and make it ready for you to come home when you get there. So we definitely recommend folks look into some of those smart service app options.

Speaker 2: 14:09

Yes, that's definitely.

Speaker 3: 14:10

Yeah, jessica, go ahead. Sorry, jessica is totally right here. And the thing you can look out for again is that Energy Star label That'll let you know that it's been certified as an energy efficient product. And Jessica mentioned a lot of the convenience and the control that it offers you, and I also want to say that it offers you a lot of insight too. A lot of thermos smart thermostats provide temperature data so you can track and manage and learn about how you're using energy, when you're using more energy, when you're using less energy. So it offers you both that insight and that control and, of course, the convenience factor as well.

Speaker 2: 14:44

So we've kind of covered the big pulling energy efficiency in terms of the H-Bay, but let's talk about some of the appliances in our home. How can consumers adapt energy-saving habits that can help them with appliances like their refrigerators, dishwashers or even the washer and dryer throughout the summer, in terms of you know what are the better times to use those products, or what other tips can we learn to help cut down on energy efficiency?

Speaker 3: 15:09

This is such an important question. I do want to highlight that these are small gains, but you know, as we all know, small gains add up. So, starting with your laundry machine, you know, try and wash and dry full loads. Make sure you're getting the most out of each load. If you can wash your clothes in cold water, that's always better because you're using less energy to heat that water. Another good thing to do is to inspect your dryer vent to make sure it's not locked. Not everybody knows even that their dryer might have a vent, but they can be harder to find depending on your model, but that's something definitely to check.

Speaker 3: 15:40

Again. It goes to that kind of when dust builds up, things don't work as efficiently. Another thing here is, you know, consider air drying clothes on lines or drying racks. You know, sometimes that's actually better for the clothes, depending on the fabric itself, but it definitely saves you money in terms of not running that dryer. So, looking to the kitchen, there's lots of ways you can save energy there too, and just make sure you're really using your appliances efficiently is, I think, the bottom line here. So, when it comes to your dishwasher, similarly to your dryer, make sure you're fully loading it before washing. Now, looking at your refrigerator, you know, make sure your refrigerator door seal is airtight. That's a really important thing you can do. You might not realize that cold air is leaking out and that can actually save you money there. Another thing, you know we talked about the refrigerator look at your freezer. If frost is building up in your freezer, that's preventing your freezer from working efficiently. A general rule of thumb is to not allow frost to build up more than about a quarter of an inch.

Speaker 1: 16:37

Yeah, I think Emma hit on a lot of the top issues, but this is something that I think about every summer in terms of kind of when to use some of these appliances, and I think something that people just kind of need to keep in mind is don't turn hot things on when it's really hot outside is kind of my rule of thumb. Really hot outside is kind of my rule of thumb. Don't dry your clothes in the middle of the day. Don't use your oven in the middle of the day. Try to save those pieces for kind of the cooler hours, whether that's overnight or late in the evening, so that you're not heating up your house with these appliances and making your AC work harder.

Speaker 2: 17:23

You know those seem like common sense things, but people do them all the time. You know the oven on at 500 degrees and it's 800 degrees outside, and it's just a horrible, horrible combination. So let's talk a little bit about some of the energy efficiency programs that are offered by your organization. Talk about what that process looks like and what the benefits are for consumers.

Speaker 3: 17:45

Yeah, we work to connect folks with energy efficiency programs. So we don't offer any in-house but we do, like I said, work to connect folks with the various programs. So there are both a federal program that's available if you meet certain qualifications for that. So that's based on usually your income. It's also geared towards the elderly and disabled and the low income really. And then Jessica had mentioned there are programs offered by each, by your utilities. So there are a couple of utilities in the state, including Swepco, Clico Energy and various co-ops, and those all have separate energy efficiency programs. Jessica, I'll let you touch a little bit more on that, maybe Sure.

Speaker 1: 18:26

So we don't do direct energy efficiency upgrades. Every once in a while we'll have some light bulb giveaways, but our focus is mainly around the policy, making sure that there is an opportunity for folks to contact their utility and get low-cost, free upgrades based on their demographic. And that's something that we've continuously fought at the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the LPSD, as well as New Orleans City Council, the regulators, to make sure that folks have access to those programs and that they are available to all. I think that's really important. Kimberly, you mentioned renters and that's one of the hardest populations to address because oftentimes you know they're not able, willing to do installation in their home.

Speaker 1: 19:25

So how can we make sure that these programs address that need? And that's something that we're heavily focused on in terms of the policy and the program development to make sure that folks can access these programs, because it can be a heavy lift. Some of these things are very expensive, so we can all kind of pay into these programs and offset it. It makes a much safer grid for everyone, right? We defer the cost of new power generation, whether that's a new gas plant or new solar panels. It's going to be kind of lower cost if we save energy right.

Speaker 3: 20:04

The cheapest kilowatt that we've ever seen is one that's saved, one that we don't use, yeah, and if you want to learn more about the various programs that might be available to you, you can always go to our website. At all the number for energyorg backslash energy dash efficiency. We overview kind of a lot of the things we've talked about here as well as provide some links where you can again reach out to your utility and learn more about their specific offerings and what might be available to you.

Speaker 2: 20:33

So give us that website again, and then you have an event, or do you have something that you I think you mentioned before we got on the call? That's going to be upcoming.

Speaker 3: 20:42

that may be beneficial for consumers you'll go to all4energyorg backslash energy dash efficiency and we've got a whole host of information there and again, we aim to kind of connect you to your utility so you can call, email, whatever it is that works for you, to get more information on the programs available to you.

Speaker 3: 21:12

And, kimberly, I'm so glad you mentioned the event that's coming up. We are hosting a benefit show and concert in New Orleans at the legendary venue to patinas called Jammin' for Justice, and it's really a community event where we're looking to bring folks together and to celebrate the work we're doing and to celebrate, you know, the ongoing fight for a brighter energy future for everyone. So if you're looking to talk about these kinds of issues, learn more about our work, about energy efficiency. It's a great place to connect with us and to connect with other community members and it's also just about kind of fun and celebration and enjoyment. We've got an extraordinary lineup of musicians who are ready to electrify the stage in support of our work, including Leo Nassatelli, the Meters, papa Molly and so many more. Yeah, we want everyone to join us at Tipitina's in New Orleans on June 22nd for our Jammin' for Justice benefit show and concert.

Speaker 2: 22:09

And I want to extend a huge thank you to both Jessica and Emma for joining us and sharing these tips. Hopefully our listeners will be able to take some of the tips that you shared with them today and cut down on those huge costs that we are looking forward to for the summer. Thank you again, ladies, and hopefully we'll have you back in the winter so we can cover this same subject again for winterizing our homes.

Speaker 3: 22:30

Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to be with y'all and yeah, hope to chat again. There's so many ways that folks can save money and reduce their energy bills and it's not as easy as you think, but it is easy if you know how to take the first step.

Speaker 1: 22:47

Yeah, and I would agree. Thank you so much, liz. It was great to be with you today talking about energy efficiency, and would love to come back in the winter when we get ready for those cold snaps that we have.

Speaker 2: 23:05

Creating an energy efficient home is more effective when everyone in the home is working toward the same goal. If you have children, here are some tips to help them get involved in helping you cut down on energy costs. Make it a game, turn off lights and appliances when they're not in use, and challenge your kids to see who can remember to do it the most. Good luck with that one. Lead by example. Show your children the importance of energy conservation by being mindful of your own energy usage and habits. Get them involved. Include kids in your household tasks like adjusting the thermostats or hanging laundry, to teach them about energy-saving practices. And for more information, check out neighborsfcuorg to learn more on how to use the money you have, make the money you need and save the money you want. Thank you.