KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As monthly bills rise, many people are looking for ways to save money.
One of the easiest strategies is to make some changes at home to cut down on the amount of electricity used.
Evergy, formerly known as KCP&L, offers an income-qualified multi-family program, which implements energy efficiency throughout a building.
The program is used at Posada Del Sol, an affordable housing unit for seniors.
They use LED lighting and solar panels to cut down on energy waste.
"It's a really unique way for KCP&L, now Evergy, to partner with our customers and our communities , rather than building a new power plant, we're able to save energy by having customers use energy more efficiently," Kevin Brennan with Evergy said.
Posada Del Sol also installed a new boiler system.
The goal is to use the money it's saving on energy for the complex's programs, such as gardening and physical fitness.
Gloria Ortiz-Fisher with Westside Housing said she's already seen the impact since the solar panels were installed back in 2014.
"That has a savings of about 33 percent of our utility bill. So, we were paying somewhere in the area of $32,000 a year, for energy, and it reduced it to about a little less than $24,000, so it's a huge savings," Ortiz-Fisher said.
One woman who lives there told 41 Action News reporter Rae Daniel her cost of groceries is going up, so any way she and the building can cut down on energy waste and help with the electric bill is always a plus for her.
"If we get a $5 gift certificate in the mail, I'm so thrilled," tenant Dottie Griffen said. "I am really thrilled. If I get a notice saying oh well you don't have to pay but half of your electric bill this month, as hard as it is for me to walk, I'm gonna turn flips out here in this lobby."
Evergy says there are simple ways to save energy, such as switching to LED lighting, unplugging chargers when phones or tablets are fully charged, and cleaning and changing air filters once a month to help with proper air flow.
To learn about other ways to save, click here.
