By james art 
Dear Editor,
Almost all Vermonters agree that we want to live in our country to be more affordable. As for energy, prolonged dependence on high and price fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil and propane is not a path to accessibility.
In 2023, $ 2.2 billion was spent on fossil fuels for transportation and heating in Vermont. The Vermont average households between $ 5,000 and $ 8,000 for combined transportation, heating and electricity costs (and this is only for fuel, without including the cost of equipment or maintenance), with the highest quantities spent on gasoline, fuel oil Propane.
If we want to reduce Vermont’s energy account and help more Vermonters- especially Vermonters with lower and average income- to achieve energy accessibility, then we need to do more to support access to modern, efficient equipment that can be To provide savings year after year, using lower -Cost, more stable price.
Modern electrical technology – including electric vehicles, heat pumps and heat pump heaters – is far more energy efficient than fossil fuel equipment. The use of less energy to perform the same tasks opens up significant energy -saving capabilities.
Gas and diesel engines are terribly ineffective. Only about 16-25% of gasoline energy in an internal combustion vehicle actually turns out to be delivered to the wheels and moving the vehicle. The greater part of the energy from burning gasoline is lost in the form of heat and other engine losses. This ineffectiveness is translated into both waste and waste money.
In contrast, in an electric vehicle (or EV) about 87% – 91% of the energy used is delivered to the wheels, which is about three to five times more efficient. To put it another way, the same amount of energy required to move a gas vehicle 100 miles can move EV to about 350-550 miles.
Electricity prices are also much more stable than fossil fuels. For example, the current average price of gasoline in Vermont is about $ 3.12/gallon – but it was $ 5.05/gallon until recently in June 2022. In contrast, the average price for a gallon equivalent to EV, behave stable between $ 1.60 to $ 1.71 per gallon in the last two years, with far lower prices for those drivers who register for EV rates that can be offered by their utility (currently 1.20 / gallon equivalent with GMP and $ 0.94/ gallon equivalent with bed). The lower cost of charging with EV over gasoline allows considerable savings of fuel costs, month by month and month.
There are also maintenance savings that come with EV, thanks to less moving parts. This includes no changes in the oil, no fuel filter, candle or belt replacement and no engine or transmission for repair. Add all this and the EVs are far more accessible to run and maintain than buying a new or used gas car, with medium -sized fuel savings and EV support for a total value of about $ 9,500 during the life of the vehicle. Or think about water heating. Even without any incentives throughout your life, the electric heat pump water heater is calculated to cost $ 3,000 less than a propane water heater. Again, the savings come from a combination of the use of more efficient equipment (heat pump boilers are about four times more efficient than propanical water heaters) and lower electricity costs than high and price propane propane. The heat pump technology is able to provide heat so much more efficiently because it uses energy to transfer rather than generate heat.
These savings are something I know, not only with data and research, but also from personal experience. Years ago, I took loans to make investments to discontinue the use of fossil fuels for my home heating and vehicle in favor of more energy-efficient and cost-saving technologies, including Weatherization, wood pellets, heat pump heater and electric heater heater vehicle. As a result, I saved thousands of dollars a year.
Continuing leaving Vermonters, exposed and depends on high prices, checking prices in fossil fuels is not an accessibility strategy. What is it is to help
Jared Duvall, Montpellier