County’s home energy efficiency program invites homeowners to learn about home energy efficiency at festival
SANTA BARBARA — emPower Central Coast will offer home energy efficiency tips, 
provide information on home upgrade programs and hand out 100 free energy-efficient LED lightbulbs at the Community Services Department’s Energy and Sustainability Initiatives booth during the 2016 Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival April 16 and 17 in Alameda Park.
The booth will be located in the Public Square area (booth #142-143).In addition to the emPower program, the Division of Energy and Sustainability Initiatives also oversees implementation of the County’s Energy and Climate Action Plan.
emPower will give away a free LED bulb to the first 100 people who visit the booth and sign up for the emPower newsletter. Visitors will also be able to learn about their home energy usage and how inefficient appliances, insufficient insulation, unsealed gaps and other troubles are affecting indoor comfort.
“We’re really looking forward to being part of the Earth Day Festival and offering a stop where people will be able to learn what they can do to reduce their power usage as home owners,” said Ashley Watkins, Program Services Supervisor. “The LED bulbs we’ll be giving out are a simple way our Division can help homeowners start cutting down on their energy use right away.”
In addition to getting an LED bulb, which use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent lights, booth visitors can schedule a free home site visit from an emPower Energy Coach. An energy coach can search for common home energy efficiency issues such as old or broken furnaces, ducts, windows and insulation. emPower can also refers homeowners to participating local, qualified contractors and connect them with utility incentives up to $6,500, as well as low-interest, unsecured financing that starts at 5.9 percent.
The Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival will be held 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 16 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 17 at Alameda Park, 1400 Santa Barbara St. For more information, visit http://www.empowersbc.org.
About emPower Central Coast: The emPower program was established by Santa Barbara County to help the community preserve the environment by lowering energy consumption and stimulate the economy by creating jobs through innovative, voluntary solutions to support a sustainable building performance market.
emPower is funded by California utility ratepayers and administered by Southern California Gas Company, Southern California Edison Company and Pacific Gas and Electric Company under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission, the US Department of Energy Better Buildings program and the California Energy Commission with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars. emPower’s low cost financing is offered in partnership with Coast Hills Credit Union and Ventura County Credit Union. More information at www.empowersbc.org.