On March 21 at 7 p.m., the Westport Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge was presented at Town Hall. “This is a challenge and Westport loves challenges,” said First Selectman Gordon Joseloff. The program’s goal is to improve home energy efficiency locally, specifically by 20 percent in 1,000 homes within the next three years.
Promoted by the Green Task Force, the program helps homeowners identify places that are energy inefficient. 14 towns in Connecticut, including Westport, Weston, and Wilton, won a grant to promote greener lifestyles; if the towns succeed, they can win national recognition.
The Westport Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge includes professionals from various programs, including the Clean Water Fund and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. For $75, people come into a home for three hours to identify places that are least energy efficient and try to seal up certain holes and fix problem areas. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology help to track the energy savings over time to calculate the program’s effectiveness. Each family’s energy usage changes can be tracked online.
A video was shown at the presentation, created by Green Club Co-Presidents and Green Task Force members Ben Meyers ’11 and Nicole Brill ’11, with testimonials from three different local families that have participated in the Challenge. One family admitted to making numerous small changes, such as changing to more energy-efficient light bulbs, while another had an estimated savings of approximately $500 in the next year. The same family said, “A SWAT team of professional people come into your home and do work. It’s great!”
The goal of the Challenge is to have $15,388,744 in energy savings throughout Westport, which is equivalent to 25,863 metric tons of carbon dioxide reductions.
There is also a visible reward for those who decide to participate in the Challenge. Depending on how much energy is saved, homeowners can receive points that they can use towards purchasing segways, recycling bins, electric charging stations, smart thermostats, and other green products.
“It’s important for homeowners to understand what effect their house is having in terms of hurting or helping the environment,” said Brill. “Joining the Challenge would help the town become more educated on sustainable energy.”
Joseloff encouraged younger members of the community to advocate to their parents to jump on board with the program.
