Online Programs Help Residents Lower Energy Costs

For the last three years, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has pledged to “Age with Attitude” with its partnership with Senior Planet Montgomery. Here is what we have done in 2020 and 2021. 

Together, we have been working to keep money in the pockets of Montgomery County seniors and ensuring access to learning opportunities to explore technology that can help lower their utility bills. Through online programming – webinars and workshops – we have been able to provide over 80 virtual programs, reaching more than 1,280 participants. Not only that but we have been able to provide presentations in multiple languages: English, Spanish, and Mandarin. 

We are looking at expanding our online offerings and are always grateful for the many people who help make this program happen. While this is a Senior Planet Montgomery program, there are no bouncers at the virtual door, checking IDs so these programs are open to all who want to learn more about lowering their utility costs.

Meet Grace Maa, Technology Trainer with Senior Planet Montgomery

Grace Maa is a Technology Trainer with Senior Planet Montgomery. As a technology trainer of Senior Planet at Montgomery County, she has the opportunity to virtually deliver several energy-related lectures in the first quarter of the year. She has found this series of courses very informative as it provides many useful resources. In the lectures she demonstrates how to search for utility providers & energy-saving programs, analyze and pay utility bills with online tools, and shop for ENERGY STAR and smart appliances in the utility marketplaces and much more. (All of this information can also be found at https://montgomeryenergyconnection.org/).

As a trainer, she notices that participants also have good reflections on learning how new technology like smart thermostats, meters, light bulbs, power strips & plugs can help them save money. In fact, Grace recently replaced her 65 watt garage lightbulb with an LED equivalent which uses only 1/8 of energy and can last for 13.6 years! She is so grateful for the energy efficient technology and for the savings on her utility bill. 

How does Senior Planet Montgomery help residents?  

Like Grace, we help other residents through virtual workshops at libraries, community and senior centers through Montgomery County, Senior Planet will offer sessions for older adults focused on user-friendly tools and resources so residents can utilize energy-saving technologies to improve their daily lives.  

There are many ways technology can improve or assist energy conservation–whether it’s monitoring your energy usage, paying your utility bill online, or finding energy inefficiencies in your home. If you’d like to learn more, don’t miss out on an upcoming Senior Planet lecture or workshop near you!

All of our programs are listed in the Community Calendar. These programs are currently taught digitally via Zoom. To find Zoom links and more details, please visit the Senior Planet Website: https://seniorplanet.org/locations/montgomery-county/ 

Mark your calendars for these fun programs coming up later this month:  

• March 18, 2022: Stop Losing Money on Your Utility Bill; Friday 12-1pm 
• March 28 2022: Understanding Energy Choice; Monday 3-4pm 
• April 15, 2022: Lighting & Smart Bulbs; Friday 12-1pm 
• April 22, 2022: Stop Losing Money on Your Utility Bill; Friday 12-1pm 
• April 29, 2022: Smart Thermostats; Friday 12-1pm 
• May 10, 2022: Go Solar – stay tuned for link 
• June 7, 2022: Say Watt? – stay tuned for link 

Meet the People Who Bring Us Senior Planet Montgomery

These programs are available because of the people working behind the scenes to make these happen. We are grateful for Shivali Haribhakti who serves as the Regional Director and Noah O’Ryan who works as the Program Manager for Senior Planet Montgomery. Senior Planet from AARP harnesses technology to enhance the way we age. The courses, programs, and activities help seniors learn new skills, save money, exercise to get in shape, and make new friends. Senior Planet is about much more than just the latest gadgets and apps and websites. It is a service organization specializing in the needs of older adults. The organization’s purpose is to enable older adults and people of all ages to come together and find ways to learn, work, create, exercise and thrive in today’s digital age. 

AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY 

In addition to the presentations and workshops, Senior Planet is partnering with Montgomery County to get the word out about the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal subsidy of up to $50 a month for qualifying individuals to cover the monthly cost of home broadband internet. To learn more information visit: https://www.fcc.gov/acp.

For assistance applying visit: https://agingconnected.org/ebb-resources/