Hawaii Energy Savings Reports


January 24, 2014

As South Maui real estate specialists, we like to keep an eye out for innovations that improve the lives of homeowners anywhere in Hawaii, and on that note, an interesting story came out recently about saving on electric bills. Hawaii Energy has begun sending Oahu residents free reports that compare their electricity usage to their neighbors in order to encourage energy efficiency, and it seems to be working. What a simple, smart idea.

This month, 57,500 residents will begin receiving the report, which will provide electricity usage information, offer customized energy-saving tips, and track the resident’s month-to-month progress. There’s nothing like a little competition to get people engaged in outperforming their neighbors, especially when it clarifies how much more money you are spending by using excess energy.

How the report works is that it provides information on 100 anonymous houses nearby, particularly the ones that are similar in age, square footage, and number of bedrooms. To make accurate comparisons, they need to look at Hawaii homes that are as similar as possible.

Ray Starling, the Hawaii Energy Program Director, said in a statement, “This is a very unique opportunity for people to see how their electricity habits stack up with their neighbors, which can be a great motivator for positive change.”

After these homeowners get their initial report, they will get three follow-ups that will show them their progress, so they’ll have some concrete evidence that their energy-saving efforts are adding up to real savings. So far, it’s estimated that the Home Energy Report pilot program has saved about 7.54 million kilowatt hours and $2.94 million in electric bills throughout 75,000 households.

Let’s hope that simple but effective strategies like these continue to make Hawaii an affordable, enjoyable and healthy place to live. Mahalo for reading this week!

RealEstateMauiHawaii.com – By Mark Harbison



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