by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
With record low temperatures for the past two weeks, one concern on many people’s minds is how big the “please pay” amount will be when they open their next electricity bill from JEA.
“It’s not like filling up the gas tank on your vehicle. With JEA you pay as you go for what you have already used,” said JEA Conservation and Efficiency Specialist David Reed.
One of the best ways to control the amount of energy used is to evaluate how energy is used and how much energy is used.
Since every home and business is different, Reed said, to really gain an understanding of energy consumption that can lead to conservation, and therefore cost savings, the first step is to evaluate the situation based on accepted principles of science and engineering.
Traditionally, that has meant calling in a technician to perform an energy audit. Through a partnership between JEA and the Jacksonville Public Library, a do-it-yourself kit is now available.
JEA provides the equipment and all the instructions required. The library’s part of the service is to allow customers to borrow a “Home Energy Evaluation Kit,” just like it was a book, CD or DVD.
The kit includes an infrared thermometer, energy consumption meters, temperature and humidity recorders and even a ruler used to measure the thickness of attic insulation. It’s provided in a backpack made out of recycled billboard material and fabricated by Burro Bags.
There’s also a step-by-step instruction manual and information about ways to reduce energy consumption based on the results of the evaluation.
It’s also educational. Reed said when he evaluated the amount of electricity his appliances used at home, he discovered how much one can cost, based on JEA’s rate of 13 cents per kilowatt-hour. “It costs 39 cents a day to run my refrigerator,” he said.
Reed said collecting the measurement tools for the kit was the easy part. The challenge came in writing an instruction manual that would allow the average person to use the tools and conduct a valid evaluation.
“It’s accurate from an engineering standpoint, but easy to understand. All the calculations require only basic arithmetic and it’s a way to understand your energy consumption by monitoring it,” he said.
Kits are available to anyone with a valid library card and may be borrowed for three weeks at the Main Library and the West Regional, Mandarin and Beaches branch libraries.
Kits may not be reserved or the loan period extended. If a kit isn’t readily available at the branch that’s most convenient for a customer, a kit at another branch may be put on hold for pickup.
Based on the success of the pilot program, Reed said JEA plans to offer more of the kits at all 21 public library locations by March.
For customers who want to learn more about energy conservation and other sustainability topics, the library has a display of “green” books in the Zimmerman Overlook at the Main Library.
There also are four free energy workshops scheduled in February that will connect customers with JEA staff to learn how to use the energy evaluation kit and save money by conserving at home.
“We know people have to use energy. We just don’t want them to waste it,” said Reed.
To learn more about conserving energy while protecting the environment, visit www.jea.com.
356-2466