#GreeningTheGrid - June ESCO and Subscription Solar Update

Note: To power your home with renewable energy, see the most recent Subscription Community Solar chart and FAQ: and 100% Renewable Electricity chart.

By Gerri Wiley, HeatSmart volunteer and Energy Navigator
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Happy June, Green Beings!
There’s so much to share with you each month and yet I like to keep these Energy Updates short and relevant to your lives, so here we go…

Subscription Community Solar
Yes, you can sign up for one of the attached plans, but know that you’ll be on a waiting list for a good while.

Electric Prices Continue to Climb.
Three years ago, Clearview Energy and Clean Choice were both on my ESCO charts and then I had to drop them for various reasons that I’ve already told you, but just for humor’s sake, I decided to add them back (in grey-tone) onto this month’s ESCO chart so that you can see where their pricing has gone relative to ECA’s renewable plan and NYSEG’s default fossil-nuclear mix (brown-tone). Take a look. Crazy, right?

Let’s Challenge Ourselves!
Face it…all forms of energy have an environmental footprint. Now is the time to draw down our energy use in any and every way possible to save money and to serve our atmospheric needs as living beings. You can use fans instead of AC on hot days and draw shades/curtains at appropriate times to reduce solar heating. If your home is not heated/cooled with an air-source or ground-source heat pump system as this point, you can begin learning more about these efficient ways to make your home comfortable. It’s good to know what type of heat pump system would work best for your home so that when your furnace or air-conditioner fails, you follow your plan and will not be talked into replacements hooking you to decades of fossil fuel use or gobbling up lots of kilowatt-hours. Not all HVAC companies are tuned in to climate science! Remember that reducing your energy load with low-global-warming impact insulation/sealing is the FIRST step, prior to sizing a heat pump system.

Reduce Surprises: Read Your Meter and Inform NYSEG Each Month
It’s very hard to get a handle on your utility bills unless you and NYSEG are aware of your real, not estimated energy use every month. Go to your account online and find this section:

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​OR CALL NYSEG’s self-service line at 800.600.2275 – When you call, have your 11-digit NYSEG account number available along with your meter readings. Receive reminders (by text message, email or phone) to read the meter by enrolling in NYSEG’s Customer Meter Reading Reminder Service.

Home EV Chargers Offered by NYSEG Smart Solutions
Some NYSEG customers received an offering of EV chargers that are 30 or 32 amps. If you are interested, go to the actual NYSEG Smart Solutions website to see offerings that include 40 amp chargers that can charge your EV in fewer hours. Of course, you’ll want to ensure that your electric panel supports the higher amperage.