We’ve been Co-op members since 2012. In 2005 after using 1,823 gallon of heating oil and five cords of wood for heat and hot water we set out on a long-term effort to bring our energy use under control. Since 2005 we’ve added insulation in the attic, basement and walls, sealed air leaks, installed a solar hot water system, switched from cord wood to pellets, added foam insulation in the basement, hosted four solar trackers from AllEarth Renewables and purchased two cold-climate heat pumps and a heat pump water heater from the Energy Co-op. This winter, we used less than 30 gallons of fuel oil. If you add the savings from car pooling and the incremental cost of purchasing a more efficient vehicle and assume a long-term average of $2.50 a gallon for heating oil and gasoline, we are saving $8,000 a year in energy bills. That’s a 20% tax-free return on our investment.