Some Liberty gas customers to get reports comparing use to neighbors

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Liberty Utilities will send some of its customers specialized reports about their natural gas use compared with their neighborhood to see how, and whether, it helps them conserve energy.

The pilot project is part of a trend among utility providers to let customers know more specifics about their energy use with comparisons to similar neighbors. ... Subscribe or log in to read more

Liberty Utilities will send some of its customers specialized reports about their natural gas use compared with their neighborhood to see how, and whether, it helps them conserve energy.

The pilot project is part of a trend among utility providers to let customers know more specifics about their energy use with comparisons to similar neighbors.

We know that saving money and environmental awareness are two things that motivate people to conserve energy, Liberty Utilities spokesman John Shore wrote in an email response to Telegraph questions. However, behavioral science tells us that knowing how we compare to our neighbors in many cases is an even more powerful motivator. Thats the basis of these reports.

The report compares the customers use to what it calls neighbors use.

When I say neighbors, its an average usage of similar homes in the area, Shore wrote. The comparison is anonymous.

Such peer comparison feedback, as the industry calls it, can have a noticeable effect on peoples habits. A 2009 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, for example, found that people in California and Washington cut electricity or natural gas use by up to 2 percent when shown that other homes nearby were more efficient.

Public Service of New Hampshire began a similar project in February with some of its electricity customers, although PSNH is running an experiment that involves sending different types of reports to see which ones cause people to make the biggest change. That study is running for one year, and then PSNH will decide whether to continue.

Liberty Utilities will use the firm Opower, the same company that does PSNHs reports. The firm has specialized in this area, and does home energy reports for scores of utilities around the world.

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Some Liberty gas customers to get reports comparing use to neighbors

Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate Michael McDermott to Tour Brooklyn Street Fair

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Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) September 27, 2014

The Libertarian Party's Governor Candidate, Michael McDermott, will join the Manhattan and Brooklyn Libertarian Party at their booth at the 40th Annual ATLANTIC ANTIC STREET FAIR this Sunday, September 28, 2014, 12-6PM, rain or shine in Brooklyn.

Michael McDermott will greet the thousands of people expected to attend with members of both chapters of The Libertarian Party of New York. The Libertarian booth is located at space "GN51" which is located between Hoyt and Bond Streets at the corner of Bond Street. The nearest address for the location is 395 Atlantic Ave.

The nearest subway station is "Hoyt Schermerhorn" on the A, C and G subway lines. Walk on Schermerhorn one block east to Bond Street, turn right and walk two blocks to Atlantic. Nevins is the closest stop for the 2, 3, 4, 5 Lines. Exit to Fulton Street. Walk South on Nevins (the next street is Livingston) four blocks to Atlantic, then turn right to Bond Street, one block away. On the D, N, or R train or the LIRR, get off at the Atlantic Ave-Pacific Street station. Fourth Avenue and Atlantic is the eastern boundary of Atlantic Avenue. Walk four blocks to Bond Street.

Candidate McDermott's schedule will also include attending other speaking engagements and town hall meetings across New York State up to the November 4 General Election.

More information on Mr. McDermott's positions and the Libertarian Platform can be found at the McDermott campaign's website at http://votemcdermott.org. The site also includes a calendar of events which is updated daily.

In other news, candidate McDermott has been taking time from his campaign to attend every court hearing in the hotly disputed 5th State Senate District court case - Index Number 8640/14 in the Supreme Court of the State of New York - between Georgina Gigi Bowman and incumbent Senator Carl Marcellino. McDermott has stated, Every battle that is just and right needs to be fought, and I firmly stand with Long Island mom and real estate agent Gigi Bowman and her campaign because the people of the 5th Senate District deserves to have another choice on who represents them in the State Senate.

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Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate Michael McDermott to Tour Brooklyn Street Fair

CNN Poll: Libertarian may be spoiler

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- In one of the most closely-watched Senate races of the year, incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina holds a narrow three-point advantage over her Republican challenger, according to a new CNN/ORC International survey.

But the poll indicates that Thom Tillis, the GOP nominee, may be falling behind Hagan because a Libertarian candidate could be siphoning off Republican votes.

Hagan edges Tillis, 46%-43%, while Libertarian Sean Haugh has support from 7% likely voters, according to the poll.

The three-point gap between Tillis and Hagan, however, is well within the poll's sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points among likely voters, meaning the candidates are about even.

The race is one of eight Senate contests that CNN rates as "up for grabs" this fall. As Republicans seek to retake the Senate majority, they consider North Carolina one of their best chances to pick up a Democratic seat.

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Since Hagan was first elected in 2008, North Carolina has transitioned from somewhat of a purple state to solid red territory. Republicans took the governorship and seized both houses in the state Legislature, and North Carolina was one of two states that voted for Barack Obama in 2008 but Mitt Romney in 2012.

Hagan's favorable rating is 46%, indicating that everyone who likes her is going to vote for her. But Tillis gets a 47% favorable rating among likely voters, yet only 43% of the vote.

"That suggests that there are voters who would probably choose Tillis in a two-way race but aren't going to vote for him in a three-way contest," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

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CNN Poll: Libertarian may be spoiler

Libertarian in governorand#x2019;s race fears totalitarian state

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TAMPA Adrian Wyllie isnt your typical candidate for governor of Florida. Among other things, he campaigns in beer parlors and brags on the stump about his most recent arrests.

But theres method in the seeming madness of Wyllie, the Libertarian wholl be on the ballot in November along with Republican Gov. Rick Scott and his Democratic challenger, former Gov. Charlie Crist.

Wyllie did a statewide tour of campaign stops in craft breweries because he thinks recent legislative proposals that threatened Floridas nascent but booming craft beer industry but didnt pass typified excessive government regulation motivated by crony politics.

The arrests he brags about, the most recent in Collier County, are for driving while refusing to get a drivers license in protest of the new anti-terrorism Real ID system that requires extensive identification. Wyllie says it subjects citizens to potentially excessive government surveillance.

His proposals for how to run state government arent exactly conventional, either.

He wants to cut the state budget by 30 percent; abolish environmental regulations, marriage licenses and property taxes on homesteads; fully legalize marijuana; and convert the state to a kind of gold standard. Florida, he says, should pay all its bills with gold or silver coins.

Wyllie says his ideas are necessary to save Florida from what he calls the growing totalitarian state, which he says is imbued with waste, cronyism and corruption.

I cant say I really want to be governor, but I recognize the need, he told a small crowd of students at St. Petersburg College last week.

One of his first challenges is how to tell people what Libertarians stand for.

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Libertarian in governorand#x2019;s race fears totalitarian state

Poll: Libertarian could spoil N.C. race

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(CNN) -

In one of the most closely-watched Senate races of the year, incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina holds a narrow three-point advantage over her Republican challenger, according to a new CNN/ORC International survey.

But the poll indicates that Thom Tillis, the GOP nominee, may be falling behind Hagan because a Libertarian candidate could be siphoning off Republican votes.

Hagan edges Tillis, 46%-43%, while Libertarian Sean Haugh has support from 7% likely voters, according to the poll.

The three-point gap between Tillis and Hagan, however, is well within the poll's sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points among likely voters, meaning the candidates are about even.

The race is one of eight Senate contests that CNN rates as "up for grabs" this fall. As Republicans seek to retake the Senate majority, they consider North Carolina one of their best chances to pick up a Democratic seat.

Since Hagan was first elected in 2008, North Carolina has transitioned from somewhat of a purple state to solid red territory. Republicans took the governorship and seized both houses in the state Legislature, and North Carolina was one of two states that voted for Barack Obama in 2008 but Mitt Romney in 2012.

Hagan's favorable rating is 46 percent, indicating that everyone who likes her is going to vote for her. But Tillis gets a 47 percent favorable rating among likely voters, yet only 43 percent of the vote.

"That suggests that there are voters who would probably choose Tillis in a two-way race but aren't going to vote for him in a three-way contest," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

While Haugh only has the backing of 7 percent of voters, his presence in the race could be hugely influential if Tillis ends up losing to Hagan by just a few percentage points.

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Poll: Libertarian could spoil N.C. race