Dominion Virginia Power is going full-steam ahead with its “home
energy check-up program” in a supposed effort to assist residential consumers
save both money and energy.[1]
Dominion’s home energy check-up program offers duct testing
and sealing, a home energy checkup, pump tune-ups and pump-upgrades.
As part of the home energy program, Dominion says that
consumers will receive a personalized report with recommendations and findings
for conserving energy. In addition, consumers will receive a one-time incentive
on the average of $230 to make improvements based on the check-up results.[2]
Dominion claims that average incentives are $90 per unit for
a residential heat pump tune-up program and $125 for the residential sealing
and duct testing program.
Critics of Dominion, such as myself, have to hand it to
Virginia’s largest utility, its leadership knows how to navigate public demands
for efficient and renewable energy supplies that don’t undermine its
profitability.
While Dominion Virginia Power’s new “check-up program” is a
praiseworthy endeavor to cut energy consumption in Virginia, it’s only one
piece of the energy efficiency puzzle.
Virginia is still lagging in the use of renewable sources of
energy, instead relying largely upon fossil fuels to keep the trains running on
time.[3]
In the past, Dominion has argued that transitioning to
renewable sources of energy like wind and solar power is economically irrational.
However, Dominion has been quick to grab clean energy credits by bringing in
clean energy to Virginia from outside of the state.[4]
THIS doesn’t make economic sense for Virginians.
Underneath Dominion’s energy conservation programs is a
leadership that is still bent on relying upon fossil fuels. It’s like putting a
band-aid over a wound you’re going to soon reopen; the bleeding is still occurring
even if you’ve artificially covered it.
If Dominion Virginia Power is truly serious about conserving
energy and saving Virginians money in the long run, its leadership will swiftly
move towards in-state renewable forms of energy where feasible.
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