Become a Prosumer for Utah’s Energy Efficiency Efforts

As people that care about their community and family health, it is in solar customers’ best interest to become prosumers. A prosumer is a consumer that takes an active role. Individuals can help their environment by buying products and doing things that promote healthy living.

Rocky Mountain Power Efficiency Incentives

One way to participate in the cause is by replacing old appliances and fixtures. When the fridge is on its last leg, what takes its place matters. Choosing Energy Star approved replacements will decrease energy use, which lowers energy bills and the home’s carbon footprint.

If old appliances need replacing anyway, they might as well get a discount. Rocky Mountain Power’s Utah energy-savings programs such as, Wattsmart, with incentives that promote energy efficiency. These programs have incentives and tips for homeowners and businesses.

Rocky Mountain Power Starter Services

There are a couple of free services that this utility offers to its customers. Taking advantage of them is a cost-effective way to start being involved.

Get Your Home Energy Audit

The best way to start taking an active role is to get an energy audit. They allow homeowners to determine how efficient their home already is. 

Through Rocky Mountain Power, customers can get a free energy audit for their home. This audit allows customers to see their energy use history and determine possible improvements.  

Weatherization For Homeowners and Property Managers

One way to help a home become more efficient is to insulate it. Insulated homes are less likely to heat and cool the outdoors because they block the regulated air from escaping and the air outside from coming in.

Rocky Mountain Power has a weatherization incentive for homeowners and property managers. Qualified customers can get up to 10 cents off of every square foot of insulation installed.

Free Starter Kit: Conserve Water and Electricity

Another way to get started is to request the Wattsmart starter kit.
Rocky Mountain Power’s free Wattsmart starter kit includes four LED light bulbs to help customers see the difference of energy-efficient lights, and get them started on their path to whole-home efficient lighting.

Homes with electric water heaters can also qualify for high-performance showerheads and faucets. These waterspouts help save 3,600 gallons of water per year, and LEDs last longer and use less energy.

Rocky Mountain Power Discounts and Incentives

Rocky Mountain Power also provides incentives and discounts on specific efficiency updates. These new appliances help make energy bills more affordable and decrease the home’s carbon footprint.

Heating and Cooling

Rocky Mountain Power has rebates for both cooling and heating updates. They have cooling rebates for whole-house ventilation fans, room air conditioners, evaporative coolers and smart thermostats. The heating rebates are for rooftop heat tape timers, heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps, ductless heat pumps and efficient furnace motors.

Light bulbs

If the Wattsmart starter kit doesn’t provide enough lighting, customers can get a discount on them. Approved retailers sale Rocky Mountain Power approved bulbs and light fixtures.

Water Heaters

Homeowners can save up to $550 when they upgrade their heat pump water heater to a high-performance model. Customers that don’t use much energy, receive $400 cashback.

Cool keeper program

Customers with central air receive a $20 credit each year when they join the cool keeper program. Customers that join connect a device to their outdoor central air conditioning unit. This device coordinates the energy use of the air conditioner with participating customers in the area, which decreases the high electricity demand in the summer.

New Homes

If in the process of building a new home, building with efficiency in mind pays off. On top of saving money on energy bills later, new builds that apply for the Wattsmart New Homes program can get incentives. These incentives depend on the performance measures installed.

Multifamily Program

If a landlord is implementing energy-efficient upgrades, it can be beneficial. While renters may only be eligible for some lighting and cooling incentives, landlords can qualify for most of the same rebates as a homeowner.

Rocky Mountain Power’s Wattsmart Business Program

Getting energy-efficient upgrades for a business can get expensive fast. There are seven ways Rocky Mountain Power has decided to help businesses out.

Upgrades and Incentive lists

Rocky Mountain Power has commercial incentives for lighting, HVAC, motors and drives, food service equipment, compressed air upgrades, building envelopes, certain office equipment and appliances, wastewater and refrigeration, and oil and gas equipment.

Small Business Direct

This program helps small to medium businesses upgrade their lighting and power strips so they are more efficient.

Energy Efficiency Project financing

If the customer doesn’t have internal funding for business updates, they can get a loan for the project through one of Rocky Mountain Power’s financing partners.

Large Business Energy Management

When large businesses implement energy management strategies they can receive a discount. Qualifying strategies are credited 2 cents per kWh.

Support Sustainable Living: Live the Walk

Participating in a sustainable lifestyle allows individuals to become a prosumer in the energy industry. The Center for Biological Diversity listed 12 ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Their top three were buying recyclable products, big environmental purchases, and reducing plastic.

Shopping with Recycling On the Brain

Buying products that can be reduced reused and recycled is key to living a sustainable lifestyle. Many products that we use every day end up in a landfill. If we take the time to reduce, reuse, and recycle what we can, we help avoid unnecessary waste.

Big Purchases with Environmental Benefits

Buying big-ticket items that reduce harm to the environment is worth the investment. Some items to consider include large energy-star certified appliances, electric vehicles and renewable energy.

Plastic Say What

Because plastic is harmful to the environment, minimizing use will help the cause. One way to do this is by using reusable bags. Another way to reduce plastic use is to avoid buying products that use plastic packaging.

Supporting Renewable Policy in Utah

Another great way for people in Utah to become prosumers of solar is to become involved in Utah’s goal of using 100 percent clean energy. Showing support for the proposed laws that will impact whether people can get renewable energy is vital. Utah Needs more people that are willing to take a stand on the things they believe in.

In some cases, this may mean going to city council meetings. However, it could also mean sending a letter to Utah’s representatives and letting them know you care.

History has shown that regardless of whether they are the majority, the ones that make their voice heard are the ones that promote change.

Make Solar Part of Your Life

One of the biggest ways to get involved in a healthy environment is through renewable energy. People that use renewable energy to power their homes and businesses are prosumers of the cause.

Rooftop solar panels are the most common residential alternative energy option. Solar panels will produce energy throughout the day. At night homeowners can use energy stored with a solar backup system, or they can use the grid as their only source of backup power. 

Go Solar Group can help homeowners install a solar array that meets the needs of the customer while saving them money. To get a better idea of what solar could do for the customer, look at the savings that this Utah Solar Company can offer.