Want to keep your energy bills low? The Focus on Energy program can help. | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
PrincessSafiya Byers
January 10, 2024
As winter progresses, Focus on Energy is offering tips to help residents save money on their energy bills.
Focus on Energy,  a statewide program funded by electric and natural gas utilities, has helped residents save money on their energy bills for over 20 years.
Here’s how the program can assist you:
Focus on Energy partners with service providers to connect Wisconsin residents and businesses to affordable energy efficiency services.
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You can find more information here.
Focus on Energy offers rebates for high-efficiency furnaces, heat pumps, insulation and air sealing for homes and a small rebate for rooftop solar.
“It’s kind of like the cashback program where you’re going to do the work first,” said Brady Steigauf, the community liaison manager for Focus on Energy. “And then you apply for the rebates and then get that check back in the mail to help pay for that cost.”
You can find more information here.
The program offers free energy-saving packs annually. All households, apartments included, are eligible for a free pack that has things like efficient LED lights, water-saving shower heads and a weatherization pack that helps you get your home ready for winter.
The packs have things like window plastic and weatherstripping for doors and insulated outlet covers to keep out cold air and drafts, helping homes be more comfortable and thereby, reducing heating bills.
1. Use LED bulbs: If you’re a renter, replacing all your light bulbs with LEDs can save you money.
2. Turn the thermostat down
3. Avoid using “vampire energy”: Everything you plug into the wall, or most things, will still use some energy even when you’re not using it. Things like chargers, computers and TVs can use around 20% of the power when nothing is charging or plugged in.
Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program assists eligible households with their heating and electric bills. Eligible families must make less than 60% of the median state income.
Weatherization Assistance Program
The program provides energy conservation services in eligible households to help reduce home energy costs and save energy. The program covers work like insulation, sealing air leaks and repairing or replacing inefficient furnaces or other appliances.
Milwaukee County Energy Program
The Energy Assistance Program provides qualified Milwaukee County residents with a one-time, annual payment toward heating and electric bills. How much assistance you receive depends on your household size, income and energy costs and goes directly to the energy supplier.