Efficiency Maine Launches Save Like A Mainer

Augusta, Maine (October 27, 2011) – At a News Conference held last week in Augusta, Efficiency Maine launched its new energy awareness program – Save Like a Mainer. Featured throughout the multi-media campaign are Maine residents, municipalities and businesses that have realized energy savings using Efficiency Maine programs. The campaign encourages Mainers to explore energy-saving investment opportunities through Efficiency Maine to assist them in saving money on heating, electricity and fossil fuels through efficient and cost-effective uses of energy laid out in Efficiency Maine’s strategic three-year plan.  The new awareness campaign is integral to Efficiency Maine’s implementation of that plan and achieving the more than $472 million in net benefits it will deliver to Maine’s consumers and the local economy.

News conference presenters included representative Maine customers who have benefited from Efficiency Maine programs, including Shipyard Brewing Company Brewmaster Alan Pugsley, Gifford’s Ice Cream’s JC Gifford, and Rockland homeowner Ken Rich.  Each presented an overview of their Efficiency Maine energy saving project and the resulting benefits.

Shipyard Brewing consulted with Efficiency Maine to receive an incentive grant that helped purchase new, energy efficient equipment yielding an annual electric savings of 42,675kWh, worth $6,401 each year.  Gifford’s Ice Cream used a custom incentive package from Efficiency Maine to install new freezer compressors that cool their ice cream faster and more efficiently, resulting in an annual electric savings of 56,437 kWh, with an annual savings of $8,466.  Homeowner Ken Rich used Efficiency Maine to find a Participating Energy Advisor to conduct an energy audit and had a contractor install foam insulation and undertake air sealing from top to bottom, reducing the airflow in the house by more than half.  He also had a solar hot water heater and a new, high-efficiency propane furnace installed. The result: a mere $800 fuel bill for the entire heating season.

“The objective of this awareness campaign is to lower energy costs in Maine by helping more businesses and homeowners tap into energy efficiency and alternative energy,” said Efficiency Maine’s Executive Director Michael Stoddard.  “The beauty of energy efficiency is that the more customers we can enlist to install energy upgrades, the more our state economy benefits,” continued Stoddard.  This is in part because when demand for electricity is reduced, the price of supply and the cost to operate the grid are both reduced,  Additionally, some of the financial savings generated through individual energy efficiency projects is multiplied in Maine’s local economy, creating job savings, job creation and bottom-line growth. And, for families, lower bills mean more money in the family budget and greater home comfort.

“Efficiency Maine is grateful to the businesses and homeowners who are joining us in our campaign to tell their stories,” said Stoddard. ‘While their stories are ordinary — reflecting energy improvements made by thousands of Maine energy consumers through our programs each year – their willingness to partner with us in telling these stories is extraordinary and will put us on a path to reaching many thousands more participants in our programs.  Working together, we will meet the targets of the Trust’s strategic three-year plan to reduce heating costs and avoid wasted electric use equivalent to building a 63 MW power plant.”

The Save Like a Mainer education and awareness campaign will include a series of print ads, event marketing, online education, social media outreach and other initiatives for 2012. The concept for the campaign was founded on the tradition that Mainers are practical, frugal and thoughtful about how they spend their hard-earned money. Efficiency Maine programs, grants and loans provide easy-to-navigate and affordable options for energy savings solutions.

Participating Save Like a Mainer partners include iconic Maine-grown businesses such as Gifford’s Ice Cream of Skowhegan; Gilman Electric of Newport; Old Town Canoes & Kayaks of Old Town; Reny’s of Newcastle; and Shipyard Brewing of Portland. In addition, the Town of Strong, and homeowners John and Sheila Bacon of Winslow and Mark and Diane Cook of Belfast are also featured.  The Save Like a Mainer campaign is looking to share the stories of Mainers who have found a way to lower their energy costs and use energy more efficiently so that their neighbors, friends and local businesses are encouraged to join in the savings.

To learn more about Efficiency Maine’s Save Like a Mainer program including information about low-interest Maine PACE Loans, incentives, and free, independent technical advice including how to connect with a participating energy advisor, the benefits of renewable energy, and more, visitSaveLikeAMainer.com or call 1-866-376-4153.