Self-Reliance

12/19/2025

New ADU Resources Now Available on the Self-Reliance Website

As housing costs continue to rise across Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts, many homeowners are exploring Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a way to create flexible, affordable housing options for family members, caregivers, or renters.

To help members and community residents better understand what’s involved, Self-Reliance has launched a new ADU Resources page on our website.

What you’ll find on the new ADU Resources page
The new page brings together practical, plain-language information to help you navigate the early stages of planning an ADU, including:
-An overview of what ADUs are and how they are commonly used
-Design and construction topics, such as site constraints, utilities, wastewater and safety considerations
-Financing and incentive options, including state programs that may help make an ADU more affordable
-Energy and efficiency considerations, so new units are comfortable, resilient, and cost-effective to operate

Whether you’re just starting to explore the idea or already deep into planning, these resources are designed to help you ask better questions and make informed decisions.

Why we created these resources

We hear from members who are considering ADUs for:
-Aging parents or adult children
-Family members with disabilities
-Long-term housing stability
-Additional income to help offset rising costs

At the same time, ADUs can be complex. Regulations, financing, construction costs, and energy choices all matter—and misinformation can be costly. This new resource hub is part of our ongoing commitment to clear, unbiased guidance that puts people first.

This is just the beginning
The ADU Resources page will continue to grow as policies change and new programs become available. We encourage you to check back periodically and share the page with neighbors, family members, and local decision-makers who may also be navigating these questions.

Visit the new ADU Resources page here: https://lnkd.in/enYHAQrx

If you have suggestions for additional topics or questions you’d like us to address, please let us know—we’d love to hear from you.

10/30/2025

For our friends who have installed heat pumps, check out this article and check your electric bill to see if you have been switched over! :

The state’s innovative winter heat-pump rates go into effect this weekend and should make the tech more accessible. Deeper discounts could come next year.

08/15/2025

🚨 New Fuel Provider Alert! 🚨

We’re excited to welcome Snow's Fuel Company of Orleans to our Home Heating Cooperative! Serving Yarmouthport to Truro, Snows brings over a century of experience, reliable service, and a deep commitment to our Cape Cod community.

They join our incredible lineup of local providers:
🔹Canal Fuel
🔹Cape Cod Oil & Propane
🔹Chalker Heating and Fuel
🔹Fawcett Energy
🔹Marcey Oil and Propane
🔹Melia Fuel
🔹Scott Williams
🔹Tasha Fuels & Propane
🔹Williams Energy

📞 Want to use Snows?
Call our office at 508-563-6633 or email [email protected] and we’ll send your membership info to them.
You can also call Snows directly at (508) 255-1090.

💙 Proudly serving homeowners & businesses across Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts.

08/05/2025

🚨 MA CSLs: Get your required in-person CEUs!
Join building science expert Paul Raymer for a 6-hour, in-person CSL continuing ed class in Cataumet!

🛠️ The Systemic Nature of the Whole House: One Thing Leads to Another
📍 Self-Reliance, Cataumet
📅 Sept 13 or Nov 18 | ⏰ 8:30 AM–4 PM
💵 $150 | ✅ Fulfills ALL 6 required in-person hours
🎓 Includes Code, Business, Energy & Electives

📌 Taught by a nationally recognized building science pro
📌 Learn how systems in a home connect—and how that impacts comfort, air quality & energy
📌 Space is limited – sign up now!

👉 Register:
Sept 13: https://beeid.org/010ddae25404
Nov 18: https://beeid.org/c890ca46a50e
📞 Or call 508-563-6633

08/04/2025

On July 13th, we began our annual week-long KidWind Offshore Wind Academy, held at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. This is an overnight STEAM camp for students from Gateway Communities to learn about renewable energy and electricity by building solar fountains, wind turbine blades, floating offshore wind turbines (that must float and generate electricity!) and little model micro-grids and testing them all. Our students were amazing! Thank you Massachusetts Maritime Academy, MassCEC Internships, Michael Ortiz, Kathy Jackson, John Madsen, SouthCoast Wind, OSW Team, The Island Foundation, Kinsella and Sanford for making this super fun event possible. We appreciate you all!!

03/03/2025

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mass-save-culprit-understanding-true-drivers-behind-rising-seavey-kghte/?trackingId=pFdl2kJEZ%2BBVp%2BbVuHT5gA%3D%3D

by Dorie Seavey, PhD Home heating costs in Massachusetts have jumped dramatically in recent months leading to public outcry and pushback. Recently, legislators and the Governor directed the state’s energy utility regulator – the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) – to formulate a plan for ra...

12/03/2024

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in empowering local individuals and communities to take control of their energy choices—decisions that shape both our daily lives and the future of our planet.

At Self-Reliance, we believe that energy—whether it's heat, electricity, fuel, sunlight, or the energy that goes into growing our food—is essential to everything we do. From the moment we wake up to when we go to bed, energy decisions affect our comfort, our wallets, and our environment.

But we also understand how overwhelming these choices can be. The world of energy is complex, and it’s easy to feel lost when you want to save money, increase comfort, or reduce your environmental footprint but don’t know where to start.

That’s where we come in.

Helping You Navigate Energy Choices, Empowering Action

Our dedicated team at Self-Reliance helps guide our neighbors in making informed, practical energy-related decisions. Whether you're looking to reduce energy bills, enhance comfort at home, or explore renewable energy options, we’re here to provide the guidance you need.

Why Does Investing in Local Energy Make a Difference?

When communities and individuals invest in clean, local energy—from energy efficiency upgrades to renewable energy generation—they create ripple effects that benefit everyone:

Keeping money in the community: Spending on local energy stays within the community, supporting local businesses.

Reducing reliance on non-local sources: By investing locally, we reduce the need to import energy, enhancing self-sufficiency.

Building resilience: Clean energy helps communities become more resilient to price fluctuations in external energy markets.

Tackling climate change: Investing in clean energy reduces a community's carbon footprint.

Through our educational programs, resources, and one-on-one support, we make energy accessible and actionable. We don’t just teach about energy—we empower people to take meaningful action.

Your Gift Makes a Lasting Impact & Together, We Can Make Energy Decisions Easier

When you contribute to Self-Reliance, you’re directly helping your neighbors access the knowledge and support they need to make personalized, sustainable energy decisions. Your generosity ensures we can continue providing the one-on-one guidance that makes a real difference.

Will you help us this Giving Tuesday? Your support allows us to reach more people, answer more questions, and simplify the energy choices that shape our world. (donation link in first comment!)

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Self-Reliance.

Warmly,
Megan & Lindsey

11/12/2024

Renew Your Construction Supervisor’s License Without Leaving the Cape!

Get your required in-person CEUs before the end of the year with an upcoming class taught by expert Paul Raymer. He’ll be teaching the course “The Systemic Nature of the Whole House: One Thing Leads to Another” on Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Self-Reliance in Cataumet.

This class offers 6 required CEU hours for the renewal of your construction supervisor’s license, covering:

2 hours of code review
1 hour of business practice
1 hour of energy
2 hours of electives
Why You Should Attend:

Understand the system of the whole house: As homes get tighter and building materials evolve, understanding the interrelationships of components becomes essential.

Build better homes: Learn how to make homes healthier, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient, while complying with stricter codes.

Increase business opportunities: Demonstrate your expertise to homeowners by showing that you can’t “just fix one thing.”
Mass Save incentives: Understand available incentives for new homes to help them meet code and energy efficiency standards.

Course Details:

Date: Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 | 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: Self-Reliance, 1396 Route 28A, Cataumet, MA 02534
Cost: $150 (for 6 CEU hours)
Preregistration Required
To Register:
Call 508-563-6633 or register online at our website: https://selfreliancefuelcoop.org/cslceu2024

Note: The class will be held with a minimum of four participants.

For Additional Credits:

Complete the remaining CEU requirements online with our partner LeadSmart

Don’t miss out—this is a great chance to get your required credits without having to travel off-Cape!

09/18/2023

Need your 6-hour Construction Supervisor License Continuing Education course that satisfies the new in-person requirement for renewing your Massachusetts CSL license?

Paul Raymer, air quality expert, master instructor and building scientist extraordinaire, will be teaching at the Self-Reliance office in Cataumet on Thursday, September 21st from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

“The Systemic Nature of the Whole House: One Thing Leads to Another” provides a comprehensive look at the whole building as a system. As codes get more strict, houses get tighter and building materials and tools improve, the interrelationships of things becomes critical.

Understanding the system nature of the house can help a contractor to:

-Make a house healthier, more comfortable and affordable place to live in
-Increase business by demonstrating to the homeowner that you can’t fix “just one” component
-Improve quality of the work by addressing the system impacts

Understanding the value of having a building tested and what incentives are available through the Mass Save programs for new homes to be more energy efficient will also help builders in their understanding of the support that exists to make compliance with the code easier all while making the homes more efficient, comfortable and healthy places to dwell.

This course provides 2 hours of code review, 1 hour of business practice, 1 hour of energy and 2 hours of electives, for a total of 6 required, in-person hours.

The cost for this course is $150.00.

Where?
Self-Reliance, 1396 Route 28A, Cataumet MA 02534

To register, call 508-563-6633 or go on-line to

03/18/2022

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/climate-change-home-improvement/

A fifth of American carbon emissions come from our homes. Here’s what you can do about it, and how to balance individual and systemic action.

03/09/2022

Professor Heather Cox Richardson's March 8th Letter to America talks about gas and oil pricing. A good read.

This morning, President Joe Biden announced an executive order that will ban the import of Russian oil, liquified natural gas, and coal to the United States, as part of a plan to cut Russia off from the world economy. Biden did this under pressure from Congress, which was preparing its own bill for....

03/01/2022

This is an interesting read with great ideas
https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/heat-pumps-for-peace-and-freedom?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo1ODYyMjIxLCJwb3N0X2lkIjo0OTQ1MzgxNSwiXyI6InI3UGhNIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ2MDczNDE3LCJleHAiOjE2NDYwNzcwMTcsImlzcyI6InB1Yi00MzgxNDYiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.sMioyS54vIeMQmtZYR_Zf3ur6ik_2Im9qKcrMZ80r34&utm_source=url&fbclid=IwAR0a0h8W3wuJz3Q5kW1CKYGgKKr4GnAA-eCn2jdklKWH7xVAoxST7BNN9Ps

Joe Biden Could Damage Putin Badly--and He Doesn't Have to Ask Joe Manchin