Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency a Success in its First Year

Formed in 2005, Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) is a joint effort by the US Department of Energy, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to reduce the energy consumption of the average U.S. home by 10%  by 2015.

Currently, US residents spend more than $160 billion a year to heat, cool, light and live in their homes. US residences account for approximatley 21% of our country's energy use, and contribute approximately 17% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Meeting the PHEE's goal of a 10% reduction in energy use would save Americans $20 billion annually in utility costs, increase the affordability and comfort of homes, reduce demand for natural gas by more than 1 quadrillion Btus (about 1 percent of the total U.S. energy demand), and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 25 million vehicles.

So far, PHEE is off to a good start. According to the first annual report on the PHEE's progress, more than 337,000 homes increased their energy efficiency due to PHEE programming. In 2005, the program's first year, 163,000 Energy Star homes were built, 7000 homes were upgraded to meet Energy Star standards, and 167,000 additional homes received energy efficiency upgrades under the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program.

To learn more about the PHEE's work, visit their website at http://www.energysavers.gov/phee.html. You can also  read more about their first year's successes in the EERE Network News, or you can view the full report (pdf).