Assisting Low Income Customers The typical low income family spends 13 percent of By investing in the efficiency of buildings and its income on home energy, four as much as appliances, promoting smart energy choices and families that fall above the poverty line. subsidizing energy-saving efforts for low-income families, natural gas utilities are helping their customers save money and reduce their carbon footprint, while maintaining the comfort and Nearly half of low-income families use natural gas to productivity of their homes and businesses. heat their homes and they benefit from assistance offered to them by many natural gas utilities in the Saving Customers Money form of: America’s natural gas utilities have demonstrated their commitment to promoting cost-effective and Bill payment assistance. practical approaches to increasing energy efficiency. Free home energy audits and low- or no-cost In 2014 utilities invested $1.27 billion in natural gas equipment replacement. efficiency programs, and budgeted nearly $1.5 billion Weatherization assistance a service provided – for the 2015 program year. by natural gas utilities in 74 percent of natural gas efficiency programs and by the federal As part of these programs, utilities provide valuable Weatherization Assistance Program. tools, incentives and information to help their customers understand and reduce their energy Natural Gas Use in Homes and usage. These include: Appliances Is the Efficient Choice Offering low-interest financing, cash rebates and other financial subsidies for high-efficiency Nearly 69 million American homes use natural gas, natural gas appliance purchases and whole and 84 percent of those homes use it to keep warm. home or building efficiency improvements. Natural gas utilities provide this efficient energy source that helps customers reduce their total Providing home energy audits, weatherization energy consumption, particularly in residential and kits and programmable thermostats. commercial (R&C) end-use applications. Supplying information on insulation and Gas use efficiency and appliance technology appliances. have improved tremendously over the past four decades, resulting in natural gas furnaces and Connecting customers with experienced and boilers that can achieve 97 percent efficiency. reliable appliance and service providers. The average American home consumes 50 Providing web-based information resources and percent less natural gas than it did in 1970 energy usage calculators. despite being 61 percent larger. Since that time, the decrease in natural gas use per residential and commercial customer has averaged one percentage point per year.
By investing in the efficiency of buildings and appliances, promoting smart energy choices and subsidizing energy-saving efforts for low-income families, natural gas utilities are helping their customers save money and reduce their carbon footprint, while maintaining the comfort and productivity of their homes and businesses. Saving Customers Money America’s natural gas utilities have demonstrated their commitment to promoting cost-effective and practical approaches to increasing energy efficiency. In 2014 utilities invested $1.27 billion in natural gas efficiency programs, and budgeted nearly $1.5 billion for the 2015 program year. As part of these programs, utilities provide valuable tools, incentives and information to help their customers understand and reduce their energy usage. These include: Offering low-interest financing, cash rebates and other financial subsidies for high-efficiency natural gas appliance purchases and whole home or building efficiency improvements. Providing home energy audits, weatherization kits and programmable thermostats. Supplying information on insulation and appliances. Connecting customers with experienced and reliable appliance and service providers. Providing web-based information resources and energy usage calculators. Assisting Low Income Customers The typical low income family spends 13 percent of its income on home energy, four as much as families that fall above the poverty line. Nearly half of low-income families use natural gas to heat their homes and they benefit from assistance offered to them by many natural gas utilities in the form of: Bill payment assistance. Free home energy audits and low- or no-cost equipment replacement. Weatherization assistance – a service provided by natural gas utilities in 74 percent of natural gas efficiency programs and by the federal Weatherization Assistance Program. Natural Gas Use in Homes and Appliances Is the Efficient Choice Nearly 69 million American homes use natural gas, and 84 percent of those homes use it to keep warm. Natural gas utilities provide this efficient energy source that helps customers reduce their total energy consumption, particularly in residential and commercial (R&C) end-use applications. Gas use efficiency and appliance technology have improved tremendously over the past four decades, resulting in natural gas furnaces and boilers that can achieve 97 percent efficiency. The average American home consumes 50 percent less natural gas than it did in 1970 despite being 61 percent larger. Since that time, the decrease in natural gas use per residential and commercial customer has averaged one percentage point per year.
efficiency_fact_sheet_w_jr_edits_2.5.16_final.docx