Allow oil customers full access to home energy efficiency programs

Connecticut has wide range of efficiency programs available for most natural gas and electric heat customers, including limited income households. Improving home energy efficiency gives residents control over their energy usage, so they can use less and save money without sacrificing comfort.

Unfortunately, residents of the 48% of housing units in Connecticut that are heated with fuel oil currently have limited access to state efficiency programs. Though all customers of UI and CL&P contribute to the efficiency funds via a user fee on their electricity bill, gas customers also contribute via their gas bills and oil customers do not. Because of this, the state has capped the amount of efficiency assistance that oil customers can receive.

A proposal currently in the state legislature would correct this unfair situation. A small surcharge on heating oil bills would flow into the efficiency funds, and heating oil customers would have equal access to the state’s money-saving efficiency programs.

Families using oil could save up to $768 each winter by increasing the efficiency of their homes—hard-earned dollars which would otherwise be drained from Connecticut’s economy since we import all of our coal, natural gas, and oil from other states and countries. Expanding our efficiency programs to oil customers would create additional business opportunities and jobs for local businesses that provide energy audits and efficiency upgrades. There is also the potential to cut 251,000 short tons of greenhouse gas emissions yearly by burning less oil, helping our state meet its climate goals under the Global Warming Solutions Act. Energy efficiency is a great resource for saving money, creating jobs, and reducing pollution.

These programs should be available to Connecticut residents regardless of how their homes are heated. Please support legislation that makes our state efficiency programs available to everyone.