Efficient investments

The Leader-Post reports that Saskatchewan's program to encourage the use of programmable thermostats to save energy has been a huge success so far:

Since the Saskatchewan Energy Share program was unveiled five months ago, almost 3,500 homeowners have taken advantage of the programmable thermostat rebates, a news conference at Cochrane High School heard Friday.

Under the plan, Saskatchewan residents who buy an Energy Star qualified programmable thermostat between Sept. 1, 2005 and March 31, 2007 are eligible for a $45 rebate, which is applied to their SaskEnergy bill.

In the last five months, more than $152,000 in thermostat rebates have been issued.

The program should serve as a prime example of how low-cost investments in efficiency can pay off. And with the program receiving added attention now, hopefully even more homeowners will take part during the next year.