“Saving Green” has a double meaning: This column offers advice on saving money while also protecting our environment. For a full menu of practical ideas for your home or business, plan to attend the free Palouse Regional Energy Efficiency and Electrification Fair on Saturday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Latah County Fair Event Center in Moscow.
Dozens of businesses, nonprofit organizations and contractors will be there to answer your questions about energy-saving strategies. Along with exhibits, panel discussions will take place throughout the day.
Advice is on hand for strategies at all price levels providing up-to-date, energy-saving results. Schedule an energy audit to identify drafts around windows, doors, or gaps in insulation and find a business to install insulation, storm doors, and triple-pane windows. Explore a rooftop solar-and-battery system to protect yourself from future utility price hikes. Check out swapping your gas or electric stove for a fast, efficient induction range, replacing your air conditioner and furnace with a heat pump that could cut energy bills by 50 percent or more, installing an EV charger, or upgrading to a smart thermostat.
After grabbing a bite from a food truck and entering your name for door prizes, investigate an upgrade to your electrical panel or switch to Energy Star appliances—water heater, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer, and TV. Consider putting ceiling fans in living rooms and bedrooms, adding awnings over south-facing windows, switching to LED lighting, or using motion detectors and timers to turn your lights on and off.