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The rising cost of energy has rightfully become a
national concern. For South Jersey Gas to remain an
industry leader we must be a part of the solution for
customers. With a goal of collaborating with our
customers to help them reduce their energy costs while
keeping our company strong, in 2006, with the approval
from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, we
implemented an innovative Conservation Incentive
Program (CIP). I am proud to announce that South
Jersey Gas is one of the first utilities in the
country to implement this leading edge type of
program.
Approved as a 3-year pilot program, the
CIP will soon celebrate its 1-year anniversary at
South Jersey Gas. Through the CIP, we strongly
advocate more efficient use of natural gas to
customers through a variety of educational efforts.
Customers who consistently practice conservation
techniques will reduce their usage and energy costs
therefore, driving producers to lower commodity
prices.
New Jersey’s
demand for energy in the last decade has grown three
times faster than its population. To help reduce
energy demand and reduce greenhouse emissions, in
2006, Governor Corzine signed an Executive Order
(effective July 2007) promoting conservation measures
statewide and encouraging residents to find savings
through energy efficiency. The CIP highlights the
efforts of South Jersey Gas in support of the
Governor’s push to conserve energy and preserve the
environment. At the same time, it providesit provides
our customers the opportunity to not only save
significant amounts of money on their gas bills but
also to contribute to achieving our state’s energy
goals.
How Can Conservation Save Your Municipality Money?
Conservation and energy efficiency is not just
important to South Jersey Gas’ residential customers;
it also helps municipalities and taxpayers save money.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and
Air Conditioning Engineers estimates that the expense
of operating and maintaining buildings represent 50%
of all costs over a building’s 40-year life span.
Therefore, if a municipality chooses to make a
building more efficient, the long term financial
benefits to the city and the taxpayer are substantial.
While the initial installation costs for equipment or
upgrades may deter some from pursuing energy
efficiency options, financial incentives are available
through the New Jersey Clean Energy Program offered by
the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
If a municipality chooses to invest in energy
efficiency equipment, the short payback periods can
provide considerable return on investment. Although
these initial investment costs can be substantial,
grants and financial incentives help curb the primary
cost making it easier for your municipality to pursue
energy efficient plans with minimal impact on
taxpayers. There are grant opportunities available for
projects of all sizes, including new construction,
major renovations, building remodeling, or replacement
of old, outdated equipment.
Not sure where to start? The first step is to have an
energy audit conducted on your facility, which will
identify all sources of wasted energy. There are
several licensed contractors in New Jersey who will
perform these audits and provide a comprehensive
report of their findings, along with recommendations
as to how to improve the buildings’ energy efficiency.
After the energy audit is completed, your contractor
will provide you with the needed information to
convert your building in the most cost effective
manner possible.
As South Jersey Gas closes in on its first year under
the CIP, we have taken strides to promote energy
efficiency in the
South Jersey
region among not only our customers, but in the entire
community. In fact, as a direct benefit of the CIP,
South Jersey Gas filed a petition on June 1 with the
Board of Public Utilities to reduce residential gas
rates for our heating customers by 3.7%. If approved,
this reduction will become effective on
October 1, 2007.
Over the next few months, South Jersey Gas will
introduce several new educational initiatives
associated with the CIP. One such program is the Nexus
Prism System, an electronic interface which reviews a
customer’s billing, identifies different patterns of
usage and provides helpful tips to reduce energy
consumption. Another exciting initiative partners
South Jersey Gas with Niagara Conservation
Corporation, enlisting various school districts within
our service territory to introduce an Energy
Efficiency/Conservation component into 6th grade
curriculum. These are just some of the steps we are
taking to advance environmentally friendly measures in
the communities we serve. By reducing energy use,
customers will see lower operating costs, which are
typically paid for by taxpayers, thereby compounding
the overall benefit of the CIP.
For more information on the CIP and links to several
of the state programs mentioned in this article,
please log onto www.southjerseygas/save/ or call the
South Jersey Gas conservation hotline at
1-800-648-0138. |
