Our house was heated by an oil boiler and hot-water baseboards and we did not have central air conditioning. In the hottest summer weeks, we made do with a few window air conditioners and a dehumidifier in the basement, all of which were noisy and inefficient. In Spring 2019, I obtained multiple quotes for various heat pump systems. I decided to go with a Mitsubishi mixed ducted/ductless system installed by Rodenhiser Home Services. Our electricity usage last August when we ran the new heat pump continuously for cooling was identical to the previous year when we only used the window ACs for a few weeks, showing the efficiency of our new system. We used the heat pump for heating throughout the past winter except the coldest days when our system automatically switched to our existing oil system as backup. We used less than 50 gallons of oil for heating in comparison to 750-800 gallons in previous winters. Our extra electricity cost was about the same as we would have spent on fuel oil, but we reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by several metric tons, a substantial reduction. Plus, our house was more comfortable with air continuously circulating and filtered by the heat pump's indoor units. This was the first winter in memory when my nose didn't feel dry and stuffy all the time.

I was considering buying a hybrid or electric car when my sister, Ellen, told me about an electric car/bike demo day she was organizing in Wayland. It was a great opportunity to go drive several electric cars at one and talk to the owners about their experiences. For me, the Nissan Leaf was the best fit and thanks to Green Energy Consumers, who had pre-negotiated a leasing deal, I was able to just lease the car for 3 years with no negotiating of price. My biggest roadblock to leasing an electric car was the need to drive to Vermont to see my daughters and the electric cars can drive 250 miles max. but really they don't go that far typically if you turn on anything like the AC/HEAT. When I told my brother-in-law, John about this barrier, he shared that there is a community of people dedicated to green transportation who "share" vehicles". He offered to swap cars with me for the few times a year that our Prius wasn't available, and I needed to drive to Vermont. Problem solved! I love sharing cars and helping each other achieve our environmental goals. John convinced me that we should buy a car for "most" of our needs and not the few times a year with a different need. I had a 220V outlet installed in my garage (cost about $200) and the dealer gave it to me gratis to seal the deal) so the car charges twice as fast. I don't think I will keep it at the end of the lease as I don't like some features and I would like an electric car that can make it comfortably to Vermont, which means about 300 miles for me. I am confident that by 2021 we will have those choices.

We love our yard, full of flowers, shrubs, fruit trees, and other trees. Andrew and Mike and the rest of the team at Green Abundance by Design are fabulous!

When Satra and I heard about the great DriveGreen deal that the Green Energy Consumers Alliance had made with Marlboro Nissan, we wasted no time. Concerned about climate change, we had wanted to replace our old car with an electric vehicle, and this deal made it a no-brainer. We walked into the dealership, put that deal on the table (bypassing all the sales pressure), and signed. Once we had picked up our LEAF we boasted about it and the DriveGreen program to all our friends and relatives. A week later, Satra's sister soon surprised us with her own DriveGreen LEAF from Milford Nissan! Here's a family photograph of us and our clean electric cars, taken on a day in February when temperatures reached 70F. How appropriate! Fast forward to August and we wanted to take a trip to NYC. We have another car that takes gas, but chose to take the LEAF anyway. Officially it has a range of 120 miles, but in summer and if you drive in a certain way (mainly, not above 65 mph), you can tack on another 20 miles. We planned it so we stopped at two fast chargers on the way to NYC. Handy apps show you the closest one and even whether it is in use or not. Each charge to full took a mere 20 (twenty!) minutes, during which we had lunch and a coffee break. On the way back we charged just once - ourselves too, with dinner in the whackiest Chinese restaurant east of the 90. And it was free - the charging, not the dinner. With some planning, some efficient driving, and just a little bit of extra time, it was no hardship at all! And range anxiety? What's that? Kaat Vander Straeten in Wayland

our home is heated by geothermal energy and we have solar panels as well

When we were on the verge of relocating to MA from PA a few years ago, my wife needed to replace her old car. At that time a pure EV was not a satisfactory option, because we'd be renting an apartment without a charging station nearby. 

A Prius hybrid was a strong consideration, as I loved my Prius-v hybrid.

But Toyota had just introduced a new Plug-in version of the Prius, the Prius Prime, which gets 25 to 30 miles per charge on electricity, before seemlessly switching over to gas. This versatility seemed perfect for our situation.

What really made the decision to purchase the Prime easy was the federal tax credit of about $4500 for this "electric vehicle". Factoring in this credit, the net price of the Prius Prime was just about the same as a similarly equipped standard Prius!!!

During our 1st year in MA we ran the new Prius Prime almost exclusively on gasoline, and it gave super gas mileage, over 50 mpg, just like a standard Prius.

Upon purchasing a townhouse a year later, we were finally able to plug it in on a regular basis.

No new charging equipment was needed. Using the preexisting 110v outlet in the garage, the car charges fully in just 5 hours. Every morning we're set to drive at least 25 miles on electricity. Since it only takes 5 hours to fully re-charge, some days we can drive as far as 50 miles on electricity, taking one trip in the morning, then after a recharge a second trip in the afternoon or evening.

In summary, except when we do a local errand over 15 miles away from home or go on a road trip, this car is running almost exclusively on electricity.  It only rarely stops at a gas station. And since the range on a full tank of gas is well over 400 miles, there is absolutely no range anxiety ever, even if we go some place with no access to a charger. 

Finally, since our home is supplied with 100% renewable electricity through Winchester's community aggregation plan, most of the time we are driving fossil-free!