Sustainable Southbury Announces HeatSmart Winter Weather Initiative

**News Release Submitted by Sustainable Southbury**

Jan. 8, 2024

Southbury Gets HeatSmart as Region Deals with Winter Weather

Sustainable Southbury announced a new initiative to help residents take advantage of home energy efficiency opportunities – HeatSmart Southbury. HeatSmart is an energy education and outreach program that has helped hundreds of homeowners sign up for the low-cost home energy audits available through EnergizeCT and learn about the latest heating and cooling technologies. Sustainable Southbury is partnering with Peoples Action for Clean Energy (PACE) to encourage the audits and the adoption of zero-emission, heat pump systems to heat and cool homes.

HeatSmart Southbury will provide educational sessions on heat pumps, the cleanest and most efficient heating and cooling technology. The kickoff session is scheduled for February 1, 2024, at 6:30 PM. The event will be offered live at the Southbury Library, 100 Poverty Road, in the Kingsley Room, and virtually via Zoom via http://tinyurl.com/y5wthpaw. Participants will learn about how heat pumps work, what types of heat pumps exist, the price range, as well as, state and federal incentives.

Residents may sign up independently for an energy audit or work with Southbury's pre-selected Home Energy Solutions (HES) contractor. During the audit, the technicians will evaluate the home's energy efficiency, seal air leaks, and carry out other basic efficiency measures as needed. These improvements typically provide significant cost savings to participants off of their energy bills. Technicians will also make additional recommendations for deeper weatherization measures such as insulation. The current EnergizeCT rebate for insulation is $1.70 per square foot or 75 percent of the total cost up to $10,000. There are additional federal tax credits available for home efficiency measures. Income-eligible residents may qualify for a no-cost home energy audit through the Home Energy Solutions Income Eligible Program and no-cost or deeply discounted energy measures such as insulation.

Energy costs are rising throughout the country and making your home efficient is a surefire way to improve comfort and save money. HeatSmart Southbury can help.

Attendees are encouraged to register at: http://tinyurl.com/fv4rb9z2 to receive updates about the event. For more information, and to get started on home energy efficiency, go to https://www.heatsmartct.org/southbury/. Learn more about Sustainable Southbury’s community energy campaign at: www.sustainablesouthbury.org/community-energy.