Nantucket Official Guide 2017 | Page 170

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Hundreds of residents save energy between 5 and 10 pm

Longtime Nantucket resident Tina Steadman says she ’ s noticed a trend : on an average summer day , more homes run air conditioners around the clock . Some homes , she says , even have their windows open while the A / C is on .

And the initiative has gained traction . Steadman is among 1,000 island homeowners who have had an energy assessment and taken a stand to slow demand . Plus , National Grid estimates it ’ s installed more than 40,000 efficient light bulbs and 700 energy saving smart thermostats on Nantucket between January 2015 and the time of publication .

So , what can residents do to get involved and help slow peak demand ? Horyn suggests starting with an energy assessment , which National Grid offers during set weeks throughout the year at no cost . “ Having an energy assessment is the best , most comprehensive way to learn where you can save .”

In the last five years , Nantucket ’ s demand for energy grew five times faster than the Massachusetts average .

According to National Grid , over the last five years , Nantucket ’ s demand for energy grew five times faster than the state average . Demand tends to spike between 5 and 10 pm on hot , humid days in the summer months . National Grid wants to help Nantucket consumers reverse this trend .

Electricity is delivered to the island through two undersea cables from Cape Cod . But if one cable went out of service due to an emergency during a period of high demand , the island could be at risk for an outage until backup generators were turned on . Eventually , a costly third cable could be necessary to ensure reliability .

Nantucket resident and outreach manager Kim Horyn says the time for residents and businesses to reduce energy use , and delay the need for a third cable , is now . “ Customers might underestimate the impact they have on demand , but small changes really can add up to make a big difference ,” says Horyn .

Horyn supports DemandLink Nantucket , a National Grid initiative aimed at empowering the community to reduce peak energy use during late afternoons and evenings , particularly in July and August . This year , National Grid is doing more than ever to help make saving energy easy .

National Grid says there are other things residents can do more immediately , especially between those peak hours of 5 to 10 pm :

Keep windows and doors closed while running A / C

Fire up the grill and cook outside instead of using your stove or oven

Set your dishwasher to delayed start to run overnight

Wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot water

Line dry your laundry , or upgrade to an ENERGY STAR ® certified dryer

Lower your water heater ’ s maximum temperature to 120 degrees

Spread the word to family and friends

To schedule your no-cost energy assessment , visit ngrid . com / nantucket or call 844-615-8316 .

National Grid is a proud sponsor of Mass Save .

168 • 2017 Official Guide to Nantucket