American households and consumers have been given a new "best friend" from the U.S. Department of Energy to guide them to tools and information designed to reduce energy costs.
The DOE's recently launched Energy Savings Hub (ESH), a comprehensive online platform geared to homeowners, renters and drivers that "puts President (Joe) Biden’s clean energy tax credits and forthcoming rebates right at Americans’ fingertips, helping people take control of their energy costs and have cleaner and more efficient options as a consumer," according to the DOE's April 24 news release.
The platform also features "Sparky, a Consumer's Best Friend," a dog "star" who shepherds users through brief descriptions of various clean-energy appliances and technologies that qualify for incentives under President Biden's "Investing in America" initiative, the news release reports.
"From coast-to-coast, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda will help keep money in your pocket — whether you’re a driver, homeowner or renter," DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in the release. "DOE's new energy savings hub is an easy-to-use resource to guide any consumer looking to access the enormous economic and health benefits from the President’s clean energy incentives."
The ESH has three categories for site visitors to explore: homeowner, renter, and driver, which offer information on various assistance programs, tax credits and rebates, product information and DIY tips.
Chris Castro, chief of staff of the Office of State and Community Energy Programs, called the new hub a "one-stop shop" for consumers in an interview with Scripps News. In addition to information on tax credits and rebates, the site has "'Do It Yourself' tips, educational videos and fact sheets about all types of clean energy technologies that consumers can now benefit from," Castro said.
"When you have the inflation Reduction Act that's passing billions of dollars of rebates and billions of dollars of tax credits, to create a 'one-stop-shop' resource was, in our opinion, kind of the best move and course of action," Castro said in the interview.
National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) Executive Director Mark Wolfe told Scripps that this past year was the most expensive in the past decade to heat a family homes, stating that "at one point during the winter, it was so bad, it was running at the highest level in 15 years," the article reports.
"These are programs that will help families make their homes more energy efficient and save money on their home energy bills," Wolfe said.
