Related News
Related News
-
Rate Setting Process is Customer Driven and Community Focused
EWEB’s Board of Commissioners is considering rate changes to help maintain reliable utility services and fund critical investments in Eugene’s water and electric infrastructure.
Find Out More -
National Preparedness Month: Older adults take control in 1, 2, 3
We know older adults can face greater risks when it comes to the extreme weather events and emergencies we face, especially if they are living alone, are low-income, have a disability, depend on electricity for medical needs, or live in rural areas.
Find Out More -
Planning for a Future of Reliable, Affordable, Environmentally Responsible Energy
The challenges revealed by Eugene Water & Electric Board’s integrated resource planning process mirror those facing the Northwest.
Find Out More -
EWEB’s heat driven call to conserve energy yields major savings
EWEB is likely to implement similar, formalized “demand response” programs in the future.
Find Out More -
How does EWEB recover the costs of serving customers
Here’s an overview of the three primary ways EWEB recovers the costs of serving customers and generates the funds needed to keep the power on and the water flowing.
Find Out More -
Please join your neighbors in reducing energy use today
With excessive temperatures and wildfire conditions affecting power generation across the region, EWEB is encouraging customers to safely conserve power.
Find Out More -
Stay cool during extreme heat events
With temperatures forecasted to reach over 100 degrees over the next several days, we've prepared some tips and tricks to help you stay cool.
Find Out More -
Planning for a Reliable, Affordable, Green Energy Future
EWEB General Manager Frank Lawson publishes an op-ed in the Eugene Weekly about EWEB's IRP.
Find Out More -
Women in STEM: Meet the woman responsible for managing our wholesale energy agreements to ensure we meet our customers energy needs
Megan Capper, the Energy Resource Manager at EWEB, began her career working in economics at BPA before joining the power planning department EWEB, ensuring we can meet the energy needs of our our customers today, tomorrow and 20 years from now.
Find Out More -
Substations – The resilient spine of EWEB’s electric system
The substation redundancy ensures reliable power continues to flow to homes and businesses despite unexpected equipment failures and routine maintenance.
Find Out More -
EWEB charts energy supply choices for next 2-3 years
After 18 months of study to assess Eugene’s future electricity needs, EWEB has identified next steps to pursue in the next two to three years.
Find Out More -
Trends that are impacting your utility rates
Needed infrastructure investments and rising costs of operations will require increases in the price of water and electric services.
Find Out More -
Wildfire season is here – tips and safety precautions
Temperatures are heating up with weather forecasts anticipating temperatures up to 99 degrees in Eugene and the surrounding areas on the 4th of July.
Find Out More -
June 2021 Heat Dome broke records for temperature – but not energy use, EWEB analysis finds
The extreme temperatures from two years ago show the need for EWEB to choose energy sources based on best fit.
Find Out More -
Currin Substation - the origin of the name
Hugh Currin was hired as an engineer at EWEB in 1923. Later, he became the chief engineer for the utility.
Find Out More - Show More
More Landlords are Investing in Energy Efficiency
January 29, 2020
Reducing energy waste in rental properties is a priority for a growing number of Eugene landlords and tenants.
Last year more than 400 local rental properties were upgraded with the help of EWEB efficiency and conservation programs, including rebates, loans, and home audits. Altogether, these efforts saved 500,000 kilowatt-hours of energy and 230 metric tons of carbon. The energy savings is roughly equivalent to taking 50 passenger vehicles off the road, or the carbon sequestered by 300 acres of forest.
Upgrading buildings to reduce energy waste is an important part our community's efforts to move toward carbon neutrality, and improve housing affordability.
Conventional wisdom dictates that rental properties tend to be harder and costlier to heat because landlords have little incentive to invest in improvements. In fact, rental properties that participated in EWEB's Home Energy Score program in 2019 received an average efficiency score of just 3.6 on a 10-point scale (the average home scores a 5 according to the U.S. Department of Energy).
But a growing awareness of the climate risks and social impacts of inefficient housing may be changing that dynamic.
In 2019, landlords invested more than $1.2 million in efficiency upgrades for their rental properties. To assist with upfront costs, EWEB provided more than $500,000 in rebates. The most popular upgrades were ductless heat pumps, followed by windows and insulation.
A ductless heat pump alone can reduce a tenant's electricity costs by up to 50% compared to zonal resistance or electric forced air systems. Adding insulation and replacing old, drafty windows with high-performance windows helps optimize the heating system's efficiency, keeping your tenants comfortable throughout the year while lowering electric bills and reduce energy waste.