Last year the governor announced
his new program — the KeepMe Warm charitable fuel fund: $5 million of state funds
were matched by private donations to help the most vulnerable keep "safe, warm and
secure," said the governor. The fuel fund grew out of the Governor’s KeepMe Warm
winterization program, where homes are winterized.
by Ramona du Houx
As summer comes to a close and gas prices
remain high, many families are concerned about energy prices. As the state continues work
on the budget, homeowners are projecting what they are going to need to budget in for
energy prices to get through the winter.
Last winter Governor Baldacci worked with
CITGO to ensure the most vulnerable citizens received discounted oil. Over 48,000 people
were helped by CITGO’s generosity, and the governor’s KeepME Warm charitable
fuel fund raised millions in Maine to help people in need.
This year marks the third year of the
governor’s unique program, called Operation Keep ME Warm, which helps seniors and
persons with disabilities prepare for the cold winter months. Every year the governor
personally has helped insulate homes, encouraging volunteers to come forward to help their
neighbors. Communities across the state have responded.
"Over the past two years hundreds of
volunteers throughout the state have installed winterization kits in nearly 4,000
homes," said the governor. "This year the program will run from October 19th
through the 22nd. We will soon be looking for over 1,000 volunteers to help install the
kits in 3,000 homes."
The basic home insulation, including
calking, putting plastic around the house, changing over to energy-efficient lights,
placing a plastic cover over windows, pipe insulation, and changing the furnace’s
filter, could save someone up to $200 per year. And it has.
With Operation KeepME Warm, CITGO’s
assistance, and the governor’s KeepME Warm charitable fuel fund, heating systems
stayed on during the winter last year, helping maintain home-owners’ health —
and in some cases saving their lives. One sweet elderly woman said she didn’t have to
turn down the furnace because she knew she was saving money with the insulation work
volunteers had done.
Building or insulating a home with energy
efficiency measures helps sustain the environment, as well as sustaining a
homeowner’s personal economy.
Maine Home Performance with Energy
Star—
The governor’s new
pilot program to make homes more energy efficient could save homeowners up to 20% on their
energy bills. Brian Hartford talks with the governor about cost savings using more
efficient heating systems.
In August the governor announced a new
pilot program — Maine Home Performance with Energy Star which provides Maine
homeowners a "whole house" approach to reducing their energy bills.
"This is a very important program for
Maine; it’s cutting edge stuff," said Conrad Metcalfe, lead consultant of the
project, "Because of Maine’s location, the state has one of the nation’s
highest energy costs. The program is perfect for Maine."
"These energy improvements can reduce
energy bills by as much as 50 percent," said the governor while addressing a group of
contractors that are in the program. "This week’s training will provide you with
the tools to use green energy technology and building science to calculate a home’s
energy consumption. Then, you can give homeowners the information they need to make
cost-effective energy saving improvements to their homes."
"These home improvements will reduce
energy bills, improve comfort, reduce maintenance costs, and improve the health of
buildings," said Beth Negesky, director of the Office of Energy Independence and
Security, which sponsors the program.
The three-year pilot program will provide
training and marketing support to contractors in York, Cumberland, and Androscoggin
counties. Once trained, the contractors will be able to go into homes and make energy
audits. Customers will have access to financing options, including the Maine Housing
Authority’s low-interest loans for eligible households.
"We can really help homeowners
significantly reduce their energy bills with this program," said Negesky.
"I’m excited about this program.
It’s a great way to promote weatherization and energy efficiency. It’s helping
people get the skills necessary to make needed home improvements, and in a lot of cases
it’s providing employment opportunities," said the governor.
The
governor talks to participants in his new program that instructs contractors how to do
energy efficiency audits.
Richard Burbank says there is a great need
in the state for such a program. In fact he believes that need is so great he is starting
Energy Home Performance, a new business consulting on energy efficiency.
"It is a change," said Burbank,
who is also a participant in the pilot program. "I own an apartment building in
Rockland that had no insulation. I soon found out that it was hard to get anyone in with
knowledge on how to make the building more energy efficient." Burbank worked for
MBNA. "The program came at just the right time."
The
Home Energy Loan Program (HELP)
The governor announces the first ever low interest loan program in Maine for
homeowners that make their residents energy efficient.
A dynamic new program was unveiled at the
State House in September, helping middle-income families deal with the onslaught of
winter’s energy costs. The new $7 million Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) provides
low-interest-rate energy improvement loans to Maine’s working families.
"In the face of rising heating costs
we need to do more to keep people warm safe and secure. And we are," said the
governor. "This is an important new program."
HELP is the first program of its
kind in Maine.
Working in partnership with lending
institutions, the state is putting forward $7 million toward HELP. Banks participating
receive a $400 origination fee. Participating lenders will be offering one percent loans,
if the homeowner has a certified energy audit done, a three percent loan if they
don’t. The loans can be as much as $15,000 dollars. The cost of the energy audit can
be included in the loan.
"My advice is to get an energy audit
done that will give you a road map. Then you’ve got that tool to take to the lender
to get the one percent loan, which will pay for itself in energy saved," said the
governor.
"A home improvement loan at
one percent is wonderful," said Maine Housing Director Dale McCormick, whose office
put together the program.
"Maine Housing estimates that HELP may
enable homeowners to cut their yearly energy consumption from 15 to 20 percent. It’s
really a triple whammy," said the governor. "This one gets the grand slam: You
get the benefit of adding value to your home with a one percent loan — which will pay
for itself in energy costs saved — and it diminishes our need for fossil fuels.
It’s a win on all accounts."
The HELP loans can finance energy
improvements in one- to four-unit owner-occupied homes and mobile homes less than 20 years
old.
"This program helps reduce household
energy bills, lowers our dependence on foreign oil, and reduces carbon emissions —
slowing global warming," said Maine Housing Director Dale McCormick. "Governor
Baldacci has encouraged us to make Maine more energy independent, and save some homeowners
money. HELP is a step toward that goal."
McCormick said HELP loans can be used to
fund a variety of energy conservation measures, including insulation and weather
stripping, heating system repair or replacement, storm doors and storm windows, purchase
of Energy Star-rated appliances and windows, and others.
The loans are available from: Bath Savings
Institution, Camden National Bank, Northeast Bank, Northeast Home Loan, Norway Savings
Bank, Skowhegan Savings Bank, The First, and United Kingfield Bank.
Efficiency Maine:
"Maine has little control over
what is behind rising energy prices, but we do have some control over how much energy we
need to heat our homes, keep our lights on, and operate our vehicles," said Governor
Baldacci. "Saving energy is not only good for our wallets. It is good for the health
of our people and our planet."
Through Efficiency Maine there are a number
of programs Mainers and businesses can participate in to combat global warming. Efficiency
Maine promotes efficient use of electricity and helps Maine residents and businesses
reduce energy costs.
Efficiency Maine’s Residential
Lighting Program offers a $2 instant rebate on ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent
bulbs (CFLs) and $12 off ENERGY STAR qualified outdoor CFL hard-wired fixtures.
Participating retailers deduct the rebate from the customer’s bill at the store. CFLs
use two-thirds less energy than incandescent light bulbs.
In the past year, Maine’s Community
Action Programs, working with Efficiency Maine, have delivered over 7,701 refrigerators
and more than 6,000 CFLs to low-income customers who will save an average of $220 per year
on their electricity bills.
Efficiency Maine reported that its programs
have achieved savings of 17,918 MWh/year for Maine consumers, which is enough to provide
electricity to approximately 2,800 Maine homes.
The Office of Energy Independence and
Security also keeps the public informed on ways to be more energy efficient. Their latest
effort provides 21 tips on how to be more fuel wise. Please visit:
http://maineenergyinfo.com/ — a nine-state agency project that provides easy access
to Maine energy information.
In 2003 Maine challenged a refusal by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide. While lower courts have
sided with the EPA the Supreme Court made a recent decision to review a case that could
force the federal government to limit carbon dioxide emissions. "It’s very clear
that emissions of carbon dioxide are posing a threat to public safety and welfare,"
said Jerry Reid, an assistant attorney general for Maine.
Maine is leading the way by example for other states, and
hopefully the nation, to follow. Global warming can be fought but it will take the
dedication and resolve of individuals and leaders like Governor Baldacci around the world.
We all can and need to make a difference. We are all in this together. |
