MILFORD – During his department update last week town Finance Director Jack Sheehy urged selectmen to start an energy committee.

Sheehy said he’d come across some information on a report from an energy committee that existed back in 2009, and nothing much seemed to have come out of it.

But Selectman Mike Putnam said there were changes to the wastewater treatment plant and to the public works building as a result of the committee’s work, and, “I like to think department heads are on top of it.” A joint services committee several years ago had been impressed with the way energy saving issues were being handled, he said.

But Sheehy said that’s not enough, and examining the town’s energy use is important from a financial and environmental point of view.

“This is something that can’t stop,” he said.

Schools should be involved and citizens should drive the committee and look for ways to save money.

Town Administrator Mark Bender agreed.

“There have been a lot of advances in energy savings since 2009,” he said, including the availability of federal and state rebates.

As an example, Bender said, for his home he has a pellet-based boiler with an automatic feed and he buys pellets in bulk, and he was able to obtain a 30 percent rebate, up to $6,000. For a commercial building the rebate goes to $50,000.

“There are good systems and good advances in technology I think are worth revisiting,” he said.

Selectman Gary Daniels suggested an energy committee work for a year, and the board consensus was that they would first get more information.