Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

Living in the Northeast when the seasons are changing can prove costly if your home is not energy efficient. You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on a heat pump, furnace repair or replacement, a pellet stove, air sealing, insulation, ventilation, or roof repair or replacement just to name a few. The list of potential fall weatherization and energy efficiency projects is often big, and finding funds necessary to pay for such efforts may be just enough to make some people think it’s simply not affordable for them.   

Air sealing and insulating are relatively low-cost solutions to climate control in your home or office. Whether you are dealing with heat and humidity in the summer, cold and drafty spaces in the winter, or both, you will save both money and energy by taking some simple steps to tighten up your structure’s envelope (the physical barrier between air conditioned and unconditioned spaces).  

With the heating season coming up quick, this is a good time to assess your home heating equipment to make sure it’s in good working order. By maintaining your equipment, you’ll ensure that your stove, boiler, furnace, mini-split, or other heating unit performs as efficiently as possible. Here are some tips to help you get ready for the cold weather:

This is an exciting time for plug-in electric vehicle (EV) buyers. Manufacturers are producing more affordable electric cars in a wider array of models than ever before. And now, the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) is investigating how electric utilities and others can promote the ownership and use of electric vehicles in the state. If you’re on the fence about buying an EV, this article may help you pick a side.

If your house were a human, the attic and roof would be its head—that part of the human anatomy that loses the most heat. Just as you would wear a hat in the winter, you want to make sure your attic and roof are protected against the elements.

If you’re not sure if you can afford to improve the energy efficiency of your home, you’re in good company. Lots of people wonder not only about how to pay for home improvements but also about what upgrades make the most sense. The good news is that you can get help about both concerns. At Efficiency Vermont, it’s my job to give objective advice about lowering energy use within any budget. One of the ways that many people are able to make their dream of an efficient home a reality is with a low-interest energy loan.

If you’re a business owner, solar energy can provide a range of benefits, including lower energy costs and tax incentives. Solar isn’t for every business, though, so you will want to do a little research to determine if it makes sense for yours. This article is just a brief introduction to get you acquainted with the basics.

We've started to experience some pretty chilly nights, and we all know what this means—the start of the heating season is upon us! Many Vermonters heat their homes with fuel oil, and know that this requires a storage tank that is owned by the fuel recipient, not the fuel dealer. In order to ensure that the tank is safe for the homeowner and the environment, Vermont fuel dealers are required to inspect a tank prior to the initial delivery of fuel to a new customer, and some new regulations for Vermont oil tanks are now in effect.