All Over Albany

Jumpstart NY

Here's something that sits right in the middle of the overlap in a Venn diagram for "thrifty" and "nerdy": the state Public Service Commission is looking for households willing to participate in a monitoring program aimed at reducing energy waste and lower utility bills.

From the blurbage:

The 250 households to be selected statewide to participate in the program will have an electricity monitor installed in their homes at no cost. Using their computers, participants in the Jumpstart NY initiative can observe how their homes use electricity in real-time. Online tools will help them spot wasted electricity and eliminate it through simple actions like unplugging appliances that are not in use or setting the thermostat at a lower temperature.

Participants will also be able to interact with other Jumpstart NY households through an online community, where they can share information and personal experiences.

The PSC tells us they're looking for about 50 households from the Capital Region to participate in Jumpstart NY. There's an application form on the project's website.

It would be fun (you know, relatively speaking) to turn this into a game -- pitting households and cities against each other for prizes. (Congratulations to the Johnsons of North Syracuse -- they've won a complete set of polar fleece! And considering how low they've set their thermostat, they're going to need to it!)