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Community Corner

Melrose Energy Commission Seeks Green Homes for Open House

Green buildings tour this fall to help residents and businesses conserve energy.

(Editor's note: this article was updated on Friday, July 9 at 8:15 p.m.)

As the mercury climbs this summer, energy bills are hitting the roof due to the kinds of inefficiencies found in most homes and businesses.

Those Melrose residents who have upgraded their homes or businesses to conserve energy may be able to help others save on heating and cooling costs by participating in a Green Buildings Open House this fall.

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Sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) and the Melrose Energy Commission (MEC), the NESEA open house has showed thousands of tour participants over the past 14 years how to convert their homes and businesses for greater efficiency and to lower costs.

Ellen Katz, co-chair of the volunteer MEC, is recruiting Melrose residents for participation in this year's open house on Oct. 2.

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People open their homes and businesses on that day to visitors looking for information on how to maximize their own efficiencies, conserve energy, and reduce carbon emissions by cutting their electricity use.

The tours provide real-world examples of how people have converted their homes and businesses into "green buildings," Katz said.

"To see literature is one thing, to actually see it in place has a different type of impact," Katz said. "It makes it easier to think about doing it yourself."

The open house takes place at hundreds of sites across the northeast, demonstrating energy conservation from the simple (efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs), to the complex (solar panels).

Katz and her husband, MEC communications coordinator Howie Newman, converted their own home from oil heat to natural gas heat this past winter, with a zero-interest loan from the utility company. They have already seen a difference in their energy bills, she said, after installing a natural gas furnace and tankless water heater, which resulted in heating bills totaling approximately $40 per month.

They plan to show their home on the tour and are encouraging others to get involved.

"I've driven by homes in town with photovoltaic systems on the roof, so I know these properties are out there," Katz said. 

Energy saving tips

Saving money on energy this summer can be easy using the following tips from the MEC.

  • Install a programmable thermostat. These devices allow homeowners to control temperature and automatically shut off central air conditioning when the home is not occupied.
  • Keep your blinds closed on hot days. Keeping the sun out during the day is a no-cost way to keep the home cooler.
  • Unplug appliances when not in use. TVs, computers, cell phone chargers, and other electrical appliances drain energy even when they are not turned on.
  • Wash your clothes in cold water. Washing machines use 90 percent of their energy output to heat water.
  • Use the microwave instead of the electric stove. 
  • Raise the thermostat by one or two degrees.
  • Weatherstrip and caulk your home to prevent leakage of cool air to the outside.
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