The Power is Still in Your Hands!

Even though spring has sprung, energy-efficiency upgrades and home-improvements can still increase individual comfort while lowering monthly utility bills. That was the message delivered on April 7, 2006, when the Alliance to Save Energy, together with Indiana utility regulators and leading Indiana businesses, helped weatherize a local, low-income home in Evansville, Indiana as part of the ongoing The Power is in Your Hands campaign.

Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Commissioners David Hadley and David Ziegner as well as Indiana Utility Consumer Counselor Susan Macey joined representatives from Indiana's major natural gas utilities, Neil Ellerbrook, Chairman, President and CEO of Vectren, Cindy Jackson, Energy Assistance Program Manager, Northern Indiana Public Service Company, and Citizens Gas Manager Dan Considine to observe installation of the improvements and show their support and commitment to the statewide effort to educate customers on the value of weatherization and energy efficiency in helping to control home energy bills.

This event marked the second major home efficiency upgrade project of the successful national education and outreach program, which empowers customers to lower their energy bills with energy-efficient technologies and choices. Owens-Corning and 31W Insulation provided and installed materials to both weatherize the residence and to improve the overall energy efficiency of the building. In addition to receiving insulation, the home was outfitted with a programmable thermostat donated by Honeywell, sealant provided by The Dow Chemical Company, and compact fluorescent light bulbs donated by Sylvania.

Also, during the event, the state of Indiana was inducted into the Alliance to Save Energy's Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame in recognition of the work that Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels, and the state agencies of Indiana have done to promote the issue of energy efficiency. John Clark, Senior Advisor to Gov. Daniels and Director of the Indiana Office of Energy and Defense Development accepted the award.

The Power is in Your Hands is a partnership led by the Alliance to Save Energy and the American Gas Association along with 21 leading energy companies, trade associations, businesses, federal agenciesand community groups. The campaign aims to arm consumers with information and tools to manage their home energy bills in order to reduce America's energy use, improve the environment, and enhance national security. The home makeover in Evansville was the last event in the energy awareness campaign that focused on the 2005 and 2006 winter heating season.

Following its December 13, 2005 kickoff in Washington, D.C., the $1.2 million campaign generated over 67 million media impressions through in-city, satellite and radio media tours by representatives from the Department of Energy, Dow Chemical Company, OSRAM Sylvania, and the Alliance to Save Energy. The campaign ran print ads in two markets – Ft. Wayne, Indiana and Lansing, Michigan – which significantly helped increase homeowner awareness of energy saving opportunities as well as the likelihood of individuals adopting energy saving tips and strategies. Additional activities undertaken by campaign partners included a full-size ad in the Washington Post by The Dow Chemical Company, exposure on corporate partners' websites, emails and letters sent to campaign partner employees, and donations of materials for home efficiency upgrades. The effort also included an extensive website platform with downloadable energy saving tips, information about federal tax credits for energy-efficiency home improvements, home audit information, and state and utility assistance resources.

As the winter heating season comes to a close The Power is in Your Hands campaign is slowly winding down. However, with summer fast approaching and high energy prices expected across the country, many of the lessons and approaches from The Power is in Your Hands can be applied to reduce summer cooling costs. "The power to save energy and money is in the hands of each and every consumer," said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. "Even small actions by large numbers of people can add up to significant energy and monetary savings."

Photo Credits: Alan Poizner/U.S. Newswire