Issue 2 - August 2010
Articles:
New Pilot Project Could Cut Heating Bills in Half
Free Weatherization Assistance Program Seeks Participants
NYSEG Rate Increase: Good or Bad?
Energy Corps Summer Update
New Pilot Project Could Cut Heating Bills in Half
Resources:
24 house pilot project brochure
Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Tompkins County and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services (INHS) are launching an exciting pilot program to retrofit 24 homes in Tompkins County. The "24 House Project" aims to demonstrate the benefits of energy efficiency and biomass heating in houses that heat with liquid propane gas (LPG) or heating oil. The program's basic approach is to combine energy efficiency work - insulation and air sealing - with the installation of a pellet stove.
CCE and INHS staff will guide participating homeowners through every step in the process. Starting with an energy audit, certified contractors will identify identify where the biggest energy savings can come from. CCE and INHS staff will help participants apply for existing state and federal incentive programs and finance the remaining cost through a 5-10 year loan with a 3% interest rate. The loan payments are structured so that homeowners' payments are less than what they are saving through the program, so all participants will experience a net positive cash flow. In addition, each homeowner is eligible for a $500 rebate on the cost of the pellet stove.
Once the retrofit work is done, CCE will monitor fuel use and overall costs of heating in those 24 homes over the next two years. Homeowners who participate in this pilot project will likely cut their heating bills in half. As the homes in this pilot project will be representative of all major house types present in the county's rural areas, the results of this pilot are expected to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach on a broad scale.
If successful, the project has great potential for savings across the county, and the region. In Tompkins County alone, there are about 8,000 houses that heat with LPG or heating oil. CCE estimates that if all of these houses were retrofitted, residents would save about $7.5 million a year. Even greater, across New York and in New England, there are more than a million homes that fit in this category.
Energy Corps leaders have a role to play in this project. We are still looking for more participants for the pilot project. If you or someone you know is interested, contact Dan Burke, Project Coordinator at 607-527-0031 or burke.ccetc@gmail.com.
Free Weatherization Assistance Program Seeks Participants
Resources:
Go to TCAction's website for more information about WAP.
Check out our financial incentive program deck of cards to see how you can finance your energy retrofit.
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is actively seeking participants. Funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), and administered locally by Tompkins Community Action (TCAction), WAP supports income-eligible families and individuals through free energy efficiency improvements. Professional contractors conduct the energy audits and carry out the weatherization work, providing long-lasting benefits of safety, comfort, and lower energy bills.
Created in response to the 1973 oil embargo, WAP has helped over 6.4 million low-income households since its inception. According to the DOE, low-income families already suffer from a heavy energy burden, paying 14 percent of their annual income for energy compared with 4 percent for other households. Higher energy prices can drive this burden to 20 percent or more.
With a grant of up to $4500 per household unit, WAP services -- air sealing, insulation, heating system upgrades, and lighting, door, and window replacement -- reduce most energy bills by more than 20 percent. The DOE reports that the national average for annual energy bill reduction is $437.
Households with incomes at or below 60 percent of state median income are eligible for assistance*. Program services are available to both homeowners and renters, with priority given to senior citizens, families with children and persons with disabilities. WAP services are provided for free to households, and at low cost to owners of rental buildings.
Due to increases in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the waiting list for WAP is unusually short. Now is the best time for income-eligible families to apply for weatherization assistance. Please help us to spread the word about this opportunity through your networks. For more information and a program application visit TC Action's website (http://www.tcaction.org) or call 607-273-8816.
*To view income eligibility requirements, see http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/Programs/WeatherizationAssistance/WeathIncomeGuide2009-2010.pdf
NYSEG Rate Increase: Good or Bad
Want the bad news first? NYSEG is proposing a hike in the price of energy delivery. The good news though -- the benefits of energy efficiency have never been more compelling.
Although NYSEG's latest proposal is much smaller than its 2009 rate hike request, under this new plan the average customer would pay $16.88 more a month. And since this price increase pertains to NYSEG's delivery charge, every customer will be affected by this proposal. Overall, electricity bills would increase by 5% percent and natural gas bills would increase by 12.9%.*
The rate increase would take three years to phase in, starting this September if approved. About half of the total rate increase would be implemented in the first year for both electricity and natural gas.
The Public Service Commission (PSC), which oversees New York's various utilities, is currently reviewing NYSEG's proposal. After holding public meetings in affected areas, the PSC will make its decision in the next two months.
NYSEG's delivery charge under question is a fixed rate per kilowatt of energy used. If the proposed rate increase is approved by the PUC, many households will spend more money than ever on energy. But there's another way to look at this situation: if the price of energy increases, but energy is conserved, more money than ever will be saved. Families can tap into energy saving fixes that were previously not cost-effective, and those simple low-cost/no-cost upgrades become more important than ever.
For ideas on how to save energy in your home, check out our home energy savings website. How are you dealing with the potential rate increase? Email Shawn Lindabury at scl36@cornell.edu to let us know what you've done to save energy.
*Source: "Ratepayers speak out against possible NYSEG rate increase". The Ithaca Journal. August 2nd, 2010.
Energy Corps Summer Update
This summer 56 additional leaders have come through the Energy Corps program. This fall we will ramp up our outreach efforts through community blower door workshops, youth activities, employer brownbag lunches, and a marketing campaign. Look out for an e-mail from us soon with more details on how you can help.
