Letters: PSC needs to pass EERS

In this tough, slowly improving economic climate, we are sometimes faced with hard choices about our in-home comfort. Louisianans have one of lowest utility rates in the United States, but we have some of the highest energy bills! Bottom line, we are paying too much for our energy.

That could change if the Louisiana Public Service Commission supports an Energy Efficiency Resource Standard, which would help lower our energy bills and make our energy use more efficient. This is not a huge sacrifice, nor is it too costly. It’s just about saving energy.

An EERS provides incentives to weatherize our homes, install efficient appliances — all resulting in lower bills. By adopting the EERS, we would put money right back into our wallets.

The commission has the opportunity to save us some money, but they have been sitting on this proposal for months! They need to stop stalling and vote on this important issue that could benefit all Louisianans.

Michelle Erenberg

project coordinator

New Orleans

Comments

1) Comment by bourbon-soda - 02/12/2012

People make rational and irrational purchases costing "too much to shoulder all at once" all the time, if advertising is to be believed. Anyone who can replace an "underwater" car with a loan, can finance his own improvements the same way and, if the figures about energy use are correct, begin saving money right away - not the case with the new car.

2) Comment by Tigerman66 - 01/12/2012

Ms Erenberg is a former official of the pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood.

3) Comment by DMJ - 01/12/2012

Incentives are needed when initial costs are too high to shoulder all at once. Since we won't tax emissions, the least we can do is reduce them by being efficient.

4) Comment by bourbon-soda - 01/12/2012

This is a boondoggle. If weatherizing and buying new appliances lowered energy bills by more than the cost of the improvements, people would do it without artificial incentives.