Home Energy Savings Program Offered to Residents Impacted by Pandemic

The County of Kaua‘i and the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board (KEDB) are offering up to $150 worth of energy saving devices to residents who have been impacted by the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.

The Home Energy Retrofit Saving (HERS) Program is limited to qualified residents on a first-come, first-served basis and is part of the Kupa‘a Kaua‘i recovery effort. The program is funded through a grant from the County of Kaua‘i. KEDB is working with Pono Home, a home energy company, to offer this energy saving service to residents.

“Kaua‘i, we’re in this together. So if someone you know could benefit from this program, please share this information with them,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami.

One of the ways residents can save money with the program is to make sure they have switched over to LED lights for all the lights in their home. A single, 100-watt incandescent light left on for three hours a day costs a Kaua‘i resident $30 in electricity over a year, while an equivalent LED light costs closer to $5.

“Many households have already made the shift to LED lights,” Kawakami said. “But there are still less-efficient bulbs out there – let’s find them and replace them.”

The HERS program goes well beyond LED lights. Applicants can also request advanced power strips to reduce “vampire loads,” water saving devices for their bath and kitchen, and even good old-fashioned clothes lines to reduce energy used by their electric clothes dryer. All of these items are available at no cost through the HERS program.

Although the Kupa‘a Kaua‘i HERS program does not cover larger items like solar hot water or appliance replacements, those are items Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) can often help with.

“Energy efficiency is a great way for our members to save money during these difficult times, and we continue to offer our full suite of member services geared towards helping residents and businesses to save,” said David Bissell, CEO of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative.

Residents can apply online for the HERS program at https://homeefficiency.com/kauai. More information about the program can be found at https://kauaiforward.com/energy-saving/.

Residents without access to a computer or smartphone can pick up a paper application at the Līhu‘e Civic Center in the Kāpule Building lobby (outside of the Department of Motor Vehicles) during normal business hours. As a reminder, social distancing guidelines will be enforced, and masks will be required for entry into the building.

More information on KIUC’s Member Services including their Solar Loan Program, Solar Rebate Program, and other energy efficiency programs can be found at https://website.kiuc.coop/member-services or by calling KIUC at 808-246-4300.