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Renters: Save $$

Category

Home Energy

Impact

Cost

Free

Ways to Save

Just because you don’t own where you live doesn’t mean that you can’t still save energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and save money!  Although most of the Actions described on this Energize Acton website apply to renters as well as home owners, there are specific ways and programs designed to help renters save.

 

Understand Your Utility Bills

If you are a renter, you may be able to save money on your electricity and natural gas bills.

First, you might want to start with a utility bill check-up by the non-profit group, All In Energy. They have multi-lingual staff who will do a confidential analysis of your electricity or natural gas bill. They can help you in the following ways.

  • Understand the line items on your bills, 
  • Check if you have a “third party supplier:” who might be charging unfair electricity rates, 
  • Analyze whether you might be eligible for a lower electricity rate due to income, winter use of heat pumps, or an all-electric house, and
  • Compare Eversource rates with Acton Power Choice to see if joining the Town’s aggregated electricity option would save you money. 

If you would like to speak with someone about an utility bill check-up, you may call All In Energy at 857-309-5080,  or visit them at https://allinenergy.org/ebcu/.



Need Help Getting Reduced Utility Rates or Fuel Assistance?

You can also contact the Community Action Program for the Acton area to find out whether you may qualify for its income-eligible programs and services. Contact  South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. (SMOC) for  Energy and Financial Assistance programs by clicking here or call (508) 620-1230.

 

Mass Save Options for Energy Efficiency

Mass Save is a State initiative, run by the utilities and funded by rate payers, that supports households to become more energy efficient and less dependent on fossil fuels. Mass Save has information on energy-savings for renters HERE. It includes:

  • Some Savings opportunities depending on your type of building (see below);
  • Demand response programs where you can save money on energy use and earn modest rewards by installing and enrolling a Smart Thermostat in the ConnectedSolutions program (make sure that your lease agreement allows you to install a Smart Thermostat and that it connects to central air conditioning or to a heat pump);
  • Working with your landlord to get a no-cost energy assessment for the property to help you and your landlord discover opportunities for greater energy efficiency and obtain energy-saving products at no cost.

Renters in buildings with 5 or more units can have a virtual home energy assessment with Mass Save at https://www.masssave.com/en/residential/rebates-offers-services/home-energy-assessments/online-home-energy-assessments. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of energy-saving options for renters in large buildings; however, this online assessment will connect you with a few possibilities, including a no-cost lighting kit. Also, it connects you to the Mass Save marketplace https://www.poweredbyefi.org/masssave which has weatherization materials, thermostats, and smart powerstrips for sale at a modest discount.

Renters in buildings of 4 or fewer units have more options. For instance, you can request an in-unit home energy audit from Mass Save, though they may ask for landlord approval. In-unit audits may result in no-cost “non-invasive” upgrades, such as day-of weather stripping and energy-saving devices. If you are interested in upgrades that would require a contractor, for instance insulation or a heat pump, you will need the approval of your landlord.

Watch Mass Save’s latest webinar to learn about easy energy-saving tips, available incentives and advice on how renters can talk to their landlords about energy efficiency upgrades.

 

The Acton Sustainability Office 

If you need support in working with your landlord on reducing your energy use and costs, you may email the Town of Acton’s Sustainability Office Director at sustainability@actonma.gov. Also, the Sustainability Office can share information about other special programs for income eligible and middle income households.

Find more information under the Steps to Take tab.

Steps to Take

  1. Do a utility bill “check-up” with All In Energy, 857-309-5080, or contact them at  https://allinenergy.org/ebcu/.
  2. If you are income eligible and need assistance with accessing lower utility rates or federal fuel assistance, contact the Town of Acton. 
  3. If your household income is eligible (see the chart on this webpage), you may contact the Community Action Program for the Acton area to ask how they can help with your energy costs — South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. (SMOC), 7 Bishop Street, Framingham, MA 01702,  508-872-4853.
  4. Complete the Mass Save online energy assessment. You will need to know what kind of fuel is used for heating and hot water. You also will need to enter an approximate year when your building was built, and provide a street address (but no unit number). There is a Mass Save Marketplace where limited items can be purchased at https://www.poweredbyefi.org/masssave.
  5. Get an in unit energy audit. If you rent in a building with only 1-4 units, you may have options for an  in-unit home energy audit from Mass Save and for additional rebates.
  6. Switch to LED lighting. Swap out your incandescent or compact fluorescent lightbulbs for highly efficient LED bulbs; to save the most electricity (and money), start with the ones that you use most.
  7. Save Energy with Advanced Power Strips. Many electronics consume energy whether they are on or off. Advanced power strips save energy by automatically turning off electronics when they are not being used. Set up your TV or entertainment system with the smart powerstrip from MassSave (potentially free for income eligible households). The “control outlet” on the strip is what turns on the “switched” outlets. Typically, you would plug into the control outlet a device that has a remote, such as your cable box or a gaming system, so that when you hit your remote, your system is ready to go. Amplifiers and receivers, for example, do not need to be on all the time, so they can be plugged into the switched outlets.  
  8. Encourage your landlord to call the Acton Sustainability Office at (978) 929-6515 and find out about major Mass Save offers to make Multi-Family Buildings more energy efficient (e.g., by installing or upgrading insulation or new heating and cooling units) 



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