Report: Energy Efficiency Could Earn KY Families Hundreds of Dollars

FRANKFORT, Ky Tom Joseph, Public News Service - KY

Report author Mark Cooper, who is the research director for the Consumer Federation, crunched the numbers on the costs of better appliances and insulation against the price of electricity, and found bottom-line savings. He says the most bucks are saved with a 30 percent increase in efficiency.

"Now, it's not free - you have to spend money to make money. On net, however, they'll end up at the end of the year with $300 more in their pocket."

Cooper explains that efficiency is simply a profitable investment.

Cooper says natural gas savings for Kentuckians using the same equation would be about 60 dollars.

He notes that his numbers are based on assessments from federal research and from organizations that are not lobbying for, or against, energy legislation.

The full report, "Building on the Success of Energy Efficiency Programs to Ensure an Affordable Energy Future," is at www.consumerfed.org