Call 1-877-398-4769 for answers to your energy-related questions

What's this "phantom load" I keep hearing about that supposedly wastes electricity even when my computer and other appliances are turned off?

We need to reduce our home heating-oil bills, but our funds are extremely limited, and we don't know where to begin looking for information.

When should we consider trading our old hot-water heater for a new, energy-efficient model?

Energy

We use many forms of energy in nearly every domain of daily life: to heat, cool and light our homes, power our appliances, mow our lawns, produce our food, and move ourselves around.

Almost everyone wants to find ways to cut their household energy costs and consumption without quality-of-life sacrifices.

But today's media-saturated environments bombard us with so many messages about energy, it's hard to know what to believe and how best to invest our energy dollars.

Energy Questions? Energy Answers. Call 1-877-398-4769

On October 15, UNH Cooperative Extension will roll out its Energy Answers program, expanding the capacity of our toll-free Info Line in Manchester by staffing the existing lines with volunteers trained to answer energy-related questions or refer callers to experts and other outside resources who can.

Since it opened in 2001, Extension's Education Center Info Line has answered tens of thousands of phone calls from the general public on topics as diverse as caring for lawns, landscapes and gardens, controlling insects, preserving food, dealing with nuisance wildlife, and raising children. The line is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Separate information from misinformation

"We're excited to begin answering energy-related questions," says Education Center administrator, Alice Mullen. "We'll target our information for individuals and households.

"Our research has told us that New Hampshire residents are out there looking for information about tightening up their homes, buying more energy-efficient appliances, investigating renewable energy sources, and taking advantage of government financial incentives for making energy improvements," Mullen says.

"In the process, they're running into a lot of misinformation and conflicting messages. Energy Answers aims to empower decision-making by connecting callers with the best New Hampshire-specific information from experienced energy professionals throughout the state."

Ask away: Energy efficiency, conservation, renewables, when to hire a pro, environmental impacts

"We'll stress the primary importance of energy conservation and energy efficiency," says Mary Tebo, the Extension educator who coordinates the Energy Answers program. "For example, a lot of people don't understand the many things they can do to reduce their electric and home-heating bills that cost little or nothing. We can help them avoid expensive marketplace scams. We can help them understand the lingo surrounding energy products and services.

"For people ready to move on to more extensive energy-conserving or renewable-energy projects, we can help them decide when and why it makes sense to hire an energy professional and how to find an experienced, competent service provider," Tebo says. "We can help them understand the ways reducing their energy use helps the environment."

Photo credit: Pumping the insulation in, iLoveButter. Some rights reserved