Rutland Energy Efficiency Program Takes Off

VPR/ Nina Keck

Neighborworks of Western Vermont, based in West Rutland has been helping people in the county weatherize their homes to save money on heating.

(Host) Last year the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $454 million in Better Building Grants to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses nationwide.  

Grantees include cities like: Greensboro, N.C., Cincinnati, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas. Money also went to utility companies, efficiency agencies, as well as a rural not for profit housing organization in West Rutland.  

Neighborworks of Western Vermont was awarded $4.5 million to improve energy efficiency in 1,000 Rutland County homes over three years.   

One year in, VPR's Nina Keck reports on their progress. 

VPR/ Nina Keck

Joan Jackson of Wallingford on the front porch of her 19th century farm house. Jackson took advantage of a new weatherization program to save money.

(Keck) Joan Jackson opens the door of her 19^th century farmhouse in Wallingford.  The retired librarian had been spending close to $2,000 a year on heating oil. It was always drafty, she says, but with help from Neighborworks, an energy audit showed her and contractors where to tighten things up.

(Jackson) "This is the main house, and they put the insulation from the top of the cellar wall down to just below the ground level - and you can feel it too - it's warm down here right?  It's not cold down here."

(Keck)  The work cost a total of $5,900.  Cash rebates from Efficiency Vermont dropped that down to $4,500, which is what Joan Jackson ended up paying. The good news? She expects to save $650 a year in heating costs.

(Jackson) "And more than the money - it's the comfort and feeling more comfort in my house - it's huge for me."

(Keck)  According to Rich Dow, an outreach coordinator for Neighborworks, Rutland county homeowners who've had efficiency upgrades see their energy bills drop an average of 35 percent. A recent report by the Middlebury-based High Meadows Fund, found that statewide, Vermonters could save $880 million over the next twenty years by doing what Joan Jackson did. Despite that Rich Dow says it's a bit like getting people to exercise and eat more vegetables.

(Dow) "People understand it's a good idea, people understand it's the right thing to do, people understand that they'll save money.  Why aren't they doing it?" 

(Keck) Dow says efficiency groups have tried all sorts of incentives - tax breaks, rebates, low interest loans  - even no cost give-aways.

(Dow) "We analyzed previous programs and found that at best they were moderately successful no matter their approach - So it's not the cost, it's the fact that people don't really understand it, they don't' know who to talk to and they don't know if they can afford it."

(Keck) Mary Cohen, Director of Neighborworks home ownership center says the first thing they did was lower the up front costs. Instead of the usual $350-500 for an energy audit, their clients pay $100. Then they ramped up customer service.

(Cohen) "It's the education component - but it's also dealing with the contractors - getting them to do their reports in a timely manner - because if you have to wait 3 months to get your report, you're on to something else and we see that as a big stumbling block."

(Keck) Rich Dow says involving well connected community volunteers is also key.

(Dow) "I can talk and talk and talk and I'm just a guy from Neighborworks when I role into town - I'm well spoken and convincing but when your neighbor says I did this and it saved me money and it just rings true. "

(Keck)  Dow has about a dozen heat squad volunteers across Rutland County who host energy parties just like the old Tupperware and Avon get-togethers. They also organize button up workshops for do it your-selfers. Joyce Barbieri has been town clerk in Wallingford for 30 years. She became a heat squad volunteer after seeing so many neighbors struggle to pay their heating bills.

(Barbieri) "I know the people and I know their houses and I know their situation if they're living alone. And I've had a number of people - one lady just this past April, she says I'm out of wood and we're cold. And she's on the list.

(Keck) After their first year, Neighborworks says they've done 804 energy audits in Rutland County.  Of those, 46 percent actually had the work done or are in the process.  Rich Dow says that's impressive when you consider 588 households in the whole state completed the process last year.  

Mary Cohen says she's optimistic they'll meet their goal of 1,000 households by 2013. What's less certain, she says is whether better customer service can replace or reduce the dependence on costly incentive payments. That's the $4.5 million question she says, because these efforts have to be sustainable long after the grant money is gone.   

For VPR news, I'm Nina Keck.

(Host) This week grant recipients from all over the country are in Burlington to share their progress with U.S. Energy Department officials and each other.