DIY Energy Saving Toolkits ready to check out of Los Gatos Library
Los Gatos Library patrons can check out free, DIY Energy Saving Toolkits, full of items to help reduce home energy usage.
Reducing energy consumption is an important step in fighting climate change and living sustainably, according to the National Resources Defense Council.
The toolkits come from Silicon Valley Clean Energy, a Sunnyvale-based nonprofit that provides clean, carbon-free electricity in 13 Silicon Valley Communities, including Los Gatos. They’re available for checkout at most Santa Clara County libraries.
Matt Lundy, SVCE’s community outreach fellow, said the items in the kit, like lowflow faucet aerators and water leak detection tablets, can help increase energy efficiency and decrease bills.
“It’s a lot of things— tools, materials that anybody can use—and they’re all centered around making your home energy situation better,” Lundy said, “making things more energy efficient, making sure you aren’t losing any energy or heat.”
The toolkits come with items that the user keeps, like LED bulbs, weather stripping for windows and doors and efficient batteries, said SVCE communications specialist Michaela Pippin.
Other items like infrared thermometers and a Kill-AWatt Meter to measure the energy use of appliances and equipment are returned to the library.
“We keep stocked, so we coordinate with the libraries to refill as they are checked out,” Pippin said.
The Los Gatos Library has four kits available for checkout. In 2021, those four kits were checked out 14 times, Lundy said.
“Basically, you don’t want to be wasting energy because you pay for energy, so wasted energy means wasted money,” Lundy said. “Also, using less of the resources helps reduce the amount of emissions or strain on the grid.”
SVCE also offers other services and resources to customers, like rebates for replacing gas water heaters with electric pump water heaters.
The kits are great for those looking for an easy, low-commitment way to reduce energy usage, Pippin said.
“The toolkits are kind of an introductory steppingstone to larger changes, so if you know that you’re having a lot of e-loss in your home, maybe you want to reduce your energy bill,” Pippin said. “You can also learn about the other things in your home that you may not be aware of that are bumping your energy bill up.”
SVCE took over the toolkit program from the state in 2019 and relaunched it in January 2020, right before the pandemic. Demand for restocking the kits was relatively low over the past two years, but Pippin said the nonprofit hopes to increase awareness and get more residents to check out the kits.
“I think something we’ve missed in the past two years is being out and getting to know our community members, getting to answer questions. We have these programs available beyond the DIY toolkits,” Pippin said. “We really want to support our customers with whatever part of their journey they are on, because it really is a community effort.”