"Blow door" assessment tool.

Do you leave lights on while your gone? Take hour-long showers? Never clean the lint trap in your dryer? Yes, most of us don’t pay attention to these small details around the house, but not doing so is throwing money away through the added energy costs. One of the great ideas to travel to the Eau Claire area is the Energy Service Corps, which have been performing free energy assessments in the Chippewa Valley for years. So what the heck is an energy assessment? It is where mobilized college students travel to communities that can benefit from energy initiatives. These students not only provide education about energy reduction, but also give a personal assessment of homes and other various weatherization services. This service is a joint project with the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group Foundation and the AmeriCorps. So what’s the point of all this? On July 7 the Energy Service Corps will travel to Bolton Refuge House, our local center for victims of domestic abuse. The Energy Service Corps will be making recommendations and updates to the shelter in hopes of reducing financial strain. This will be the first in a summer-long launch into providing free assessments to residents. The Energy Service Corps will focus on energy savers and wasters at the refuge, and hopes to acquire donations for energy efficient light bulbs and power strips to reduce electricity use. This means that you can have a free assessment of your home in the upcoming summer months, as well.

If you would like to snag this assessment for yourself or want to learn more about the Energy Service Corps get on the web and visit EnergyServiceCorps.org or call (920) 918-7942.