14 DAY TRIAL // This past May 21, the Energy Department in the United States announced that, thanks to energy efficiency measures implemented as part of the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program, the country has saved over $730 million (€533 million) on utility bills.
On its website, the Energy Department details that, since it was launched until present day, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program has helped more than 100,000 buildings under the jurisdiction of over 40 state and local governments green up their ways.
Specifically, information made available to the public says that, over the past four years alone, over 100,000 homes and local buildings have benefited from investments intended to boost their energy efficiency and thus help them improve on their ecological footprint.
“The Better Buildings Neighborhood Program worked with 41 competitively selected state and local governments and their partners to upgrade the energy efficiency of homes and local buildings and leverage early federal funds to launch sustainable community-based programs.”
“Over the last four years, these state and local governments have partnered with utilities, nonprofit organizations, financial institutions and building efficiency experts to upgrade more than 100,000 homes and other buildings,” the Department writes.
It is estimated that, apart from the initial $508 million (€371 million) federal investment, this initiative has until now scored another $1 billion (€0.73 billion) in the form of public and private sector funding, and that the folks and companies that have carried out the upgrades have pocketed $740 million (€540.5 million).
“Local direct investments and savings will continue to grow as leveraged funds are used to finance future energy efficiency project upgrades,” the United States Energy Department predicts.
Some 1,400 home improvement contractors are said to have been entrusted with carrying out upgrades intended for households alone. What's more, several of the programs launched as part of this initiative are still up and running despite the fact that they no longer have federal support.
Commenting on the importance to continue investing in improving the energy efficiency of homes and buildings across the country, United States Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz pointed out that, “In the United States, residential and commercial buildings account for about 40 percent of all energy use.”
“Upgrading the energy efficiency of our homes and other buildings will save families and businesses money on utility bills and reduce pollution in our communities, moving the nation closer to our clean energy future,” the Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz went on to add.