WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Grid today announced that Gloucester, Rockport, Saugus and Wellesley will participate in its 2018 Community Initiative, and will benefit from funding and support to implement energy efficiency outreach in their communities. 

National Grid’s Community Initiative provides incentive grants of up to $40,000 to Massachusetts communities that meet the initiative’s goals for implementing energy efficiency outreach in their residential communities and achieving exceptional energy savings through energy assessments and residential energy efficiency measures.  (These incentives are in addition to energy efficiency incentives already available to residents.)  Grants are awarded based on the goals achieved by the end of the year. 

"The purpose of the Community Initiative is to demonstrate—on a local level—how small changes can add up to help ensure a sustainable future for our families and the communities where we live and work,” said John Isberg, Vice President of Customer Solutions at National Grid.  “Each measure promoted by our initiative reduces the amount of energy used in a home. So, if local residents implement these measures, not only will their community win the award, but they will win as well – in the form of cost savings from reducing the amount of energy they use in their homes."

In addition to assisting communities in identifying individualized goals, National Grid will provide these communities with support throughout the duration of the initiative  including:

• Sharing monthly progress reports.
• Conducting monthly calls with municipalities to learn best practices.
• Developing and printing customized outreach materials (brochures, signs).
• Sending campaign materials to customers (email, bill inserts).
• Providing support for local events (materials, staffing where available).

The goals, and potential awards, for the communities participating in the 2018 Community Initiative are as follows:

Gloucester*

• 1078 completed residential assessments
• 229 completed air sealing jobs
• 231 completed insulation installations
• 111 completed heating system installations
• 24 completed hot water heater installations
• 195 refrigerators/freezers recycled
• 42 Wi-Fi thermostats incentivized
• For a total potential award of $37,203.65

* This will be Gloucester’s second consecutive year of participation.

Rockport

• 358 completed residential assessments
• 81 completed air sealing jobs
• 89 completed insulation installations
• 50 completed heating system installations
• 14 completed hot water heater installations
• 51 refrigerators/freezers recycled
• 18 Wi-Fi thermostats incentivized
• For a total potential award of $13,216.85

Saugus

• 745 completed residential assessments
• 163 completed air sealing jobs
• 183 completed insulation installations
• 129 completed heating system installations
• 23 completed hot water heater installations
• 180 refrigerators/freezers recycled
• 60 Wi-Fi thermostats incentivized
• For a total potential award of $30,199.64

Wellesley

• 187 completed residential assessments
• 59 completed air sealing jobs
• 69 completed insulation installations
• 29 completed heating system installations
• 5 completed hot water heater installations
• 14 Wi-Fi thermostats incentivized
• For a total potential award of $7,811.91

Since 2013, National Grid has awarded more than $547,000 to 21 Massachusetts cities and towns for their energy efficiency efforts as part of the Community Initiative.  Each year National Grid recognizes the efforts of these participating communities with its Shining Community Award.  For more information on National Grid’s Community Initiative contact Kimberly Grant Kimberly.grant@nationalgrid.com; 781–907–1480.

About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company that supplies the energy for more than 20 million people through its networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain. 

National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Read more about the innovative projects happening across our footprint in The Democratization of Energy, an eBook written by National Grid’s US president, Dean Seavers. 

For more information please visit our website. You can also follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, friend us on Facebook, find our photos on Instagram.

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