Energy Smart is Climate Smart. 
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It takes all of us to make our community healthy, clean, and vibrant. Energy use in our homes and buildings accounts for nearly half of our community's carbon footprint.  Whether you're a renter or homeowner, an energy guru or novice, there are steps we can all take to reduce our use. 

To be Energy Smart, you can: 
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Energy Smart Quick Links:

Our Goals

  • Missoulians understand the myriad climate opportunities, see themselves as part of the solution, and publicly commit to taking action. They advocate for smart policy at the local, state and federal level and they vote.
  • Broad community support for climate policy accelerates, and local government leaders are empowered to take bold action, expanding our clean energy options.
  • Individuals, businesses, and non-profits take tangible steps to become Energy Smart, via solar or energy savings efforts. 

How do I start saving?

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Understand your energy footprint

Review your home energy bill
  • If you auto-pay your bill each month, it's probably been awhile since you’ve looked closely at your household energy use. Dig out your old bills and see what patterns you notice. Knowing when your usage spikes can help prioritize where to save energy.
  • The EPA’s Home Energy Yardstick gives you a simple assessment of your home’s annual energy use compared to similar homes. A great way to get started! 

​Get an energy audit
  • Northwestern Energy offers free home energy audits to most residential customers who have not had an audit in the past 10 years and whose home is at least five years old.
  • You can also DIY it with the help of the internet and simple devices like a Kill-a-Watt (want to borrow one of ours? Let us know!). Then start checking off the recommended upgrades.
​So many reasons to save energy...
  • Our community has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 - saving energy is key to how we get there!
  • Everyone benefits from cutting energy use. It’s good for the planet, our budgets, and our community. The cheapest energy is always the energy that we don’t use in the first place!
  • Thinking about going solar? Maximize the value of your investment. Dollar for dollar, when you combine energy efficiency with solar you get greater savings per kilowatt-hour than solar alone.
  • Think of energy saving strategies as part of home maintenance. Smart energy efficiency upgrades can increase the comfort, safety, and long-term value of your home.  ​

Pick the Low-Hanging Fruit: Ways to Start Saving Today

Energy Smart TipsUse this checklist to help you pick the low hanging fruit!
​Unplug "vampire" appliances
  • Lots of appliances drain power even when off (flat-screen TVs, laptops, phone chargers, game consoles and other electronics are the worst offenders). Unplug them when not in use, or use a power strip that can easily be turned off and on.
Set your thermostat
  • ...to 68 or lower in winter, 78 or higher in summer. Better yet – install a programmable thermostat to optimize comfort and efficiency around the clock.

Replace the lightbulbs you use most often with LEDs
  • They last for many years and are 90 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs, and without the mercury that’s in CFLs.

Install a low-flow showerhead and faucet fixtures​
  • Wasted hot water is literally money down the drain! Speaking of hot water, is your water heater working harder than it needs to? Reduce the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees (most are automatically set to 140 degrees) to conserve energy use. You can also install a insulation blanket around your water heater to save 4-9% on water heating costs. If your unit is more than 12 years old, it might be time to replace it with a more energy efficient model. 
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​Do your laundry smarter
  • Your clothes dryer is a huge energy hog! Build or buy a clothesline and/or drying racks. Air drying clothes will save big on energy costs and keep your clothes lasting much longer.
  • Washing clothes in cold water will also save big on energy costs - it will get your clothes just as clean while costing only $0.03 per load!

If you have a ceiling fan, use it during summer AND winter! 
  • To keep your home cool, make sure the blades of your fan are pitched at 12 degrees. Anything more will make your motor work harder, anything less will reduce airflow.
  • To keep your home warm run your ceiling fan clockwise, changing the direction will push warm air down keeping your home nice and toasty while using your  heater less (just make sure your fans are rotating counter clockwise in the summer!)​
What's the difference between efficiency and conservation?
Energy Conservation is any behavior that results in less energy use, from turning the lights off to reusing and recycling materials instead of buying new. Energy Efficiency is the use of technology that requires less energy to perform the same function. For example, LED light bulbs use less energy to produce the same amount of light as incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

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Smart Home Investments: Add Value and Create Long Term Savings

Seal air leaks
  • ...around windows, doors, and ducts with weather stripping and insulation. Replace old leaky windows if you can.

​Replace fossil-fuel and older appliances with high efficiency electric models
  • Head over to Electrify Missoula for all the information you need to make a plan to go electric.

Take advantage of available incentives for energy efficiency - from insulation and weatherization to windows and doors!
Plant a tree! Yes, really. Trees can help keep your home cool and add value to your property! Some totally cool facts about trees:
  • The net cooling effect of single, young healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-sized air conditioners, running for 20 hours a day. 10 air conditioners, a single tree! Amazing.
  • A tree planted today on the west side of your house will result in a 3% energy savings in five years’ time and 12% savings in fifteen years.
  • Trees on your property near your home account for 10-23% of your home value.
  • Find out more about what to plant and ideas for shade areas on our Summer Smart page!

Even More Info...
  • Go Solar! With a 30% tax credit, it's never been a better time to lock in your energy costs and start generating power from the sun.
  • Check out more energy saving tips and tricks from ACE Hardware, Just Energy, and Energy.gov