In 2021, Flathead Electric Co-op paid $1.7 million in energy efficiency savings to members and partners.

Energy efficiency efforts saved approximately 10,766 megawatt hours of electricity, enough to power 768 average-use homes for a year.

“We’re all about saving energy around here,” said Public Affairs Specialist Courtney Stone.

The co-op measures savings by calculating average residential home energy use versus the total amount of rebates issued in a year.

Residential rebates for 2021, which include heat pumps and insulation, totaled $1,228,167. Commercial rebates such as custom lighting projects totaled $497,312 for the same year.

Since 2009, the co-op’s efficiency programs have saved members, and the co-op as a whole, over 124,981 megawatt hours. That’s enough energy to power 8,846 homes for a year.

Stone said energy savings were up last year because the co-op launched new outreach targeted at educating members about energy efficiency.

“We want people to be more energy efficient,” Stone said. “We like to say we’re the only business that pays you to use less of our services.”

Stone explained the co-op maintains an entire department, known as Energy Services, that is dedicated to creating energy efficiency solutions.

Stone advised members to go to the co-op’s website at flatheadelectric.com or contact the co-op to learn energy efficiency strategies. The co-op will even go out to homes to assess ways that members could be more energy efficient, Stone said.

Rebates are also available for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, weatherization, appliances, new construction and water heating.

Heat pumps, water heaters, windows and insulation could also be eligible for loans from the co-op, if the upgrades themselves qualify for a rebate.

To learn more about residential and commercial energy efficiency efforts and opportunities, call the Energy Services Department at 406-751-4483 or visit the co-op’s website: www.flatheadelectric.com/save

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.