Utility billing leads to energy savings

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Save energy, save cash
Army leads the way with new approach.


Utility billing leads to energy savings
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 27, 2008 19:16:56 EDT

Military families have cut their energy consumption far more than expected with the advent of utility billing in privatized family housing, service officials said.

Some soldiers and airmen are pocketing extra cash for their conservation efforts, and sailors also could see some of that money in a few years.

“We thought we’d have about a 5 (percent) or 6 percent reduction,” said Ivan Bolden, the Army’s chief of public-private initiatives. “Our overall consumption rate has dropped by about 10 percent.”

That translates into 30 percent of soldiers receiving refunds on their utility bills. On the other hand, about one-third are exceeding the energy baseline set for their housing and must pay the difference each month. The other one-third are within the baseline, so they get neither a bill nor a rebate.

That breakdown is within the Army’s expectations, Bolden said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/military_energy_plan_032708w/