We’re Jeff Vetsch, Anne Dybsetter, and our kids Henry and Hazel, and we think this contest is going to be a cake walk! Our team is the Mill Pond Minimizers, and we call New London, MN home.
We think the Family Energy FACE-OFF will be a great way to get our kids—and our friends and family—involved in saving energy and money at home!
Below is a little interview with more about us. We hope you’ll join our team!
| Tell us about your house. The house we live in was built somewhere around 1900. When we bought the house in 2008 we knew that keeping the energy bill down was going to be a top priority. To celebrate the new energy-saving opportunities of our beautiful old home, the first things we did was to purchase an efficient front loading washing machine. We also remodeled the kitchen and had the cabinet-maker build in a special recycling drawer to make collection easier. |
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When did you have your energy audit, and did you do anything to save more energy because of it?
In the winter of 2009 we had an energy audit done through our utility and realized that the walls on the main floor were poorly insulated. There was also a portion of a bedroom wall upstairs that was un-insulated where it backed up to the attic. In 2010 we had insulation blown into the wall cavities around the main floor. At this time we also had the rim joists in the basement insulated with a sprayed on insulation and fixed the bedroom wall issue.
In addition to the actions under your energy audit, what have you done so far to be a more energy efficient and sustainable household?
- Built a compost bin
- Installed a geothermal heating system (with natural gas back-up)
- Upgraded to CFL lighting
- Sealed around the foundation
- Turned hot water heater down to 120 degrees
- Insulated pipes for hot water
- Purchased a new, more energy-efficient refrigerator in 2011
What are the ongoing things you do to be more energy efficient and sustainable?
- Hang our clothes outside to dry
- Turn off the power strip for our computer, router, and modem when not in use
- Turn off microwave when not in use
- Open and close our window shades to allow passive heating in the winter and keep the house cooler in the summer.
- Track our energy use and energy bills to compare year-to-year
What aspects of this contest are you most excited about?
We enjoy being energy efficient, but that’s not to say we’ve done all that can be done. We’re excited about using this contest to see how much further we can take energy conservation. We are also eager to get our children involved and have them learning energy conservation habits at a young age. And of course, we are very enthused about the likelihood of putting the Goodnough’s in their place!
What actions do you plan to do?
We have purchased 60 miles of extension cord and plan to run it from an outlet on the outside of the Goodnough home to a generator in our garage. We are confident that this will result in a dramatic reduction in our utility bills. Additionally, we are planning on replacing two bedroom light fixtures that use way too many bulbs with a ceiling fan and light combo that will use more efficient bulbs. The rest of our plans are secret—Vetsetter Family secrets!
How does your family feel about this contest?
Nobody says it out loud, but I think everyone is feeling it will be a cakewalk. We’re so used to saving energy, it’s in our blood. Hazel was born to march in the Vetsch energy-efficiency brigade. Don’t be fooled by her size. Unless Troy and his crew have some renewable energy project up their sleeve…prepare for Vetsetter victory!
Anything you want to tell the CERTs audience or your opponent?
There are two clear choices in this contest. We stand for the values that have made this country great and lower our energy bills! The Goodnoughs? I really can’t see what they stand for.
