The way we use energy in America is unsustainable. Fossil fuels - coal, oil and natural gas - provide more than 85% of all the energy consumed in the United States. This creates a whole host of environmental and public health problems - from global warming, to air pollution that causes asthma and cancer, to the environmental problems created by mining and drilling for coal and oil. And as energy demands rise every year, consumers are paying more to keep the lights on and power their homes and businesses.
We’ve known for some time that the quickest and easiest way to cut down on all of these problems is to use less energy - and making our buildings more efficient is a big part of that. Buildings consume nearly 40% of the nation’s total energy in heating, cooling and electricity use. But it doesn’t need to be that high - we lose a ton of energy through old inefficient buildings and appliances.
Beyond the environmental problems this problem causes, it puts an enormous burden on our pocketbooks. Families are having to make tough choices between putting food on the table and paying gas and electric bills. For example – in 2009, more than 12 million households risked having their utilities shut off because they couldn’t pay their bills.
We know that people in the community want to save energy, cut the cost of their energy bills, and make their homes warmer, but for most people doing that seems out of reach and costly. But in fact there are actually a lot of opportunities right now to make our buildings more efficient.
Energy Service Corps takes the mystery out of energy efficiency. We give people the tools and knowledge they need to stop energy from seeping out the cracks in the windows, serve their immediate needs, and act as the catalyst in the community to greater energy efficiency.
Our goal is to help people save energy, save the environment and save money all at the same time. We do that first by educating communities about energy efficiency -- in schools, at community events, and even at people's doorsteps! We also assist communities through service projects and events that help homeowners, local non-profits, and public officials achieve greater energy efficiency right away, sealing leaks around doors and windows, replacing old lightbulbs with more efficient CFLs and referring homeowners to local energy audit and retrofit services.