By Jes Wickham
Tompkins County resident Rachel Brill was grappling with high energy bills for some time, but through advice and guidance, she was able to make several improvements to lower her monthly energy costs.
Brill explained her energy costs prompted her to attend a workshop on reading her energy bill led by Smart Energy Choices. After learning more about her local hub and the services it offers, she reached out for additional help, where she was connected with Community Energy Advisor (CEA) Mary Keefe.
“It was lovely to have someone who could answer personal questions about our particular situation,” she said.
Keefe helped Brill apply for community solar and a NYSERDA grant to get new windows and a door, and found someone to fix Brill’s family's central air.
Currently, Brill is waiting to have the windows installed and for the contractor to start work on the AC unit. But thanks to Keefe’s advice, she's already been able to lower costs.
“I am now much more educated, saving a bunch of money on energy costs, and overall will really enjoy the new windows once they are installed and the central AC is fixed!” Brill said.
Brill spoke positively about her experience working with Keefe and Smart Energy Choices.
“We can’t say enough about how welcoming and helpful Mary was to us,” she said. “She was so patient with us as we learned about all the ways we could save money and energy.”
Brill recommends that anyone facing similar energy challenges reach out to a CEA like she did.
“Ask lots of questions because there are many options!” she said.
Visit smartenergychoices.org/get-help for more information and to find your local CEA.