Well, these certainly are interesting times.
I’m glad it’s warming up, so my old house — now home office — is a bit more comfortable.
But I’m certainly using more electricity than usual.
Our families and friends are all dealing with significant concerns right now, including health, financial, and our emotional well-being during this unprecedented health and economic crisis.
The last thing we need is a bigger power bill. I’ve checked in with credible sources for some good tips, especially with respect to computer and television power consumption, and some of those old standbys — like, take a break from Facebook and use up that tube of caulking you have in the basement. You know you’ve got some!
Here are some tips to help—without having to leave the house. Bonus: Not only will they help keep energy bills low, they also help us reduce pollution.
NB Power has developed some great advice for residents, including a good, short video on phantom electricity use from our electronics systems. You can see that video here, and then browse through other pages for more helpful tips.
NB Power has suspended enrollment in home and business efficiency programs while it protects its essential workers during these COVID-19 times, and is offering relief for citizens, including options to defer payments on your bills and waive interest on overdue bills. You can read about that here. Should NB Power be doing more? Likely, but I’ll address that in a more comprehensive policy briefing note soon!
Live in Saint John? Your municipal utility, Saint John Energy, has great information, too. Check out its handy pages here.
For those of you that have already earned your Efficiency Angel Badge or are off-the-grid Super Heroes, or want to catch up on interesting reads, take the deep dive into our website. Click here, scroll to the bottom of the page, and search efficiency, or climate, or browse the great articles on our blog. We have great videos and information on renewable energy, too, featuring success stories from our NB friends, here.
Take care, friends, and #BeWell.
Lois