09/13/2026
The Willington Sustainability & Energy Committee is proud to announce out first ever Energy Savings Fair! With the price of home heating oil, staying comfortable at home this winter is going to be costly, so we decided to hold this event to make folks aware of their options when it comes to energy savings. While some of these programs will require a significant investment, others are free or at vastly reduced cost. Energy audits, insulation, and other measures are low cost ways to save energy, which translates directly to saving money. We had our home insulated, walls and attic, at a steep discount - we went to R60 in the attic for $3,000, which would have cost $7,500 without the rebates, and the walls were done at a 100% rebate, no cost to us. If you're already on heating assistance, or if you get a reduced rate on your electricity, there are programs that can help you - and even if you're not on heating assistance, you can still save money while staying comfortable.
My wife and I heat and cool our house with a combination of a geothermal heat pump and solar power. Modern geothermal systems are a marvel of engineering. Ours uses a ground loop in a well 380 feet deep to pull a constant source of a fifty-five degree anti-freeze solution into the heat exchanger in the basement. In wnter, the heat exchanger cools the antifreeze and uses the heat from that process to heat the house, keeping our living space at a constant 70 degrees. In summer, the process is reversed, and the antifreeze is used to extract heat from the living space, keeping us at a very comfortable 73 degrees. The best thing about that is the desuperheater, which applies the heat from the cooling process to a water pre-heat tank in front of our water heater. Essentially, we get free hot water all summer BECAUSE we run the air conditioning. It's win-win!
All told, our energy bills for a full year are between $2,000 and $3,000 for everything: heat, AC, hot water, lights, appliances, and travel with our electric car. We do have loan payments on all of this, but the payments are either breaking even or saving us money with energy prices where they are, and in a couple of years, the loans will be paid off.
We got the loans for these systems through Connecticut Green Bank - King Energy installed our geothermal system. Both of these companies will attend as vendors at the Energy Savings Fair. Here's the fill list:
King Energy
Earthlight Technologies
Lantern Energy
JT Energy
Connecticut Green Bank
Eversource Energize CT
We will provide pizza, snacks and soft drinks. There's no charge to attend - please come and learn about the latest technology that can help save you money and keep your home cozy this winter. Don't let your economic situation hold you back - whether you're well off or struggling, you can benefit and save money with some relatively simple actions.
