Before the new year arrives, we want to share 2018 highlights for ACEEE and energy efficiency. We celebrated the third annual Energy Efficiency Day and released our highly anticipated state and international scorecards. We also analyzed potential federal freezes of fuel economy and light bulb standards, as well as advances – and setbacks – at the state and local levels.

In addition, we connected energy professionals at conferences across the nation, including our four inaugural events: the International Symposium, Rural Energy Conference, National Convening on Utilities and Electric Vehicles, and Conference on Health, Environment, and Energy.

The 2018 International Energy Agency’s Energy Efficiency 2018 market report called for accelerated energy savings to meet climate goals, making energy efficiency more important than ever. With that in mind, here are our top 13 blog posts and press releases of 2018 to prepare you for next year’s initiatives.

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As the utility business model changes, more states are offering utilities incentives to increase energy efficiency by making it as appealing as traditional investments. Our new topic brief, released today, explores performance incentives for utilities in 29 states, focusing on nine innovative states in particular.

New Jersey is one example. In September, the state’s largest utility, Public Service Gas and Electric (PSE&G), proposed a six-year energy efficiency portfolio that would allow them to earn a return on their investment. The utility’s proposed portfolio would increase utility investments in efficiency by 60% in its first year, ramping up to a 700% increase in 2024, compared to 2017 utility investments. It would also more than quadruple the number of programs the utility offers, help New Jersey meet its energy efficiency targets, and save customers an estimated $5.7 billion. The proposal is now being reviewed by the state utility commission.

Even with such clear benefits, however, many utilities would be unable or unwilling to invest as much in energy efficiency. Why? Without proper policies, efficiency reduces electricity sales and profits. To counteract this, New Jersey and 28 other states have performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs) that allow utilities to earn rewards for their investments in energy efficiency when they meet certain performance criteria.

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Don’t worry, we won’t tell you to nix your holiday light show—at least, not entirely. There are a lot of easy steps you can take to make your festive displays more energy efficient.

• Switch to LED lights. Outside or on your tree, LED string lights will shine bringer and last ten times longer(link is external) than outdated incandescent lights. Worried about the bright white normally associated with LEDs? LED lights come in a variety of colors, including a “warm white” for that old-time holiday glow. LEDs are also safer than incandescent lights because they operate at much lower temperatures(link is external). They’re less expensive, too—using a LED lamp over the holidays will cost you an estimated $0.45, compared to $5 for mini incandescent string lights and $75 for large incandescent string lights!
• Set a timer(link is external). Your lights don’t need to be on all night! Putting your decorations on a timer will save money and electricity, while conserving your lightbulbs for the times of day when they’re most visible.

(Read More) Smarter House

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the winter holiday season – and hopefully means trips to visit friends, family, and warmer weather. Whatever the occasion, consider these four tips for reducing energy use during your travels:

1. Check your tire pressure – As temperatures get colder, the pressure of the air in your car tires decreases. In fact, for every ten degree Fahrenheit drop in temperature, tire pressures drop by almost one psi. By ensuring your tires are properly inflated, you can improve your car’s gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent, reducing money spent on fuel and greenhouse gases emitted by your vehicle.
2. Be a patient driver – It may be tempting to rush to vacation destinations after months of hard work, but it’s still important to practice safe driving. Aggressive driving, such as speeding, rapid acceleration, and hard braking, can lower your highway gas mileage by up to 33 percent. Additionally, for every five miles per hour driven over 50 mph, you pay the equivalent of an additional $0.19 per gallon of gasoline.

(Read more) Alliance to Save Energy

Nearly two-thirds of behavior-based programs for saving energy involve in-person contact with residents, such as home energy audits, according to a new survey of 50 such programs nationwide. As energy efficiency programs increasingly target behavior, local governments are taking diverse approaches.

Our new report, Reducing Energy Waste through Municipally Led Behavior Change Programs, shows that the majority of locally led programs use more than one behavior change strategy. It finds that more than half include a competition, game, or educational component.

Read more (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping which means… winter is coming! If only putting on that ugly holiday sweater and thinking about chestnuts roasting on an open fire could keep us warm all season long. Unfortunately, colder temperatures also mean rising utility costs in much of the country. Home heating is the largest energy expense in the average U.S. home, accounting for 45 percent of energy bills. While updating your home heating system can make a big difference, taking smaller steps to improve efficiency first can keep you warmer this winter with a modest investment that will pay off in bill savings.

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Air pollution takes the lives of more than 500 Americans every day – far more than homicides and car crashes put together. It’s an environmental hazard globally, contributing to climate change and damaging local environments.

A significant portion of air pollution in the United States comes from vehicles. That pollution makes the impact of transportation energy waste tangible: where transportation is inefficient, we are causing great harm that can be mitigated, or avoided entirely. Federal policies aimed at making transportation more energy-efficient have been a key tool in the battle against air pollution to protect both human health and the environment – and need to be protected and expanded.

Read more (Alliance to Save Energy)

This year, Americans experienced the fourth hottest summer on record, preceded by a winter of record-breaking lows. As the winter season approaches, extreme temperature patterns serve as a reminder that home energy use isn’t just a matter of comfort, but also one of health and wellness. Yet, a recent posting from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that a significant portion of American struggle to pay for energy.

According to EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 31 percent of U.S. households face challenges when paying energy bills or adequately heating or cooling their homes. One in five households forgo necessities like food and medicine in order to pay energy bills, forcing difficult tradeo-ffs that impact well-being. These energy insecure households are also more likely to earn less than $20,000 annually and be African-American or Latino. Whereas the median U.S. energy burden is 3.5 percent of a household’s income, low-income households experience a median energy burden of 7.2 percent.

Read more (Alliance to Save energy)