A grant from Clean Virginia will help local organizations get the word out about weatherization and energy efficiency programs for both homeowners and renters. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
CHP Energy Solutions is a nonprofit that helps low-income households across Virginia access free weatherization and energy efficiency programs. Business Development Specialist Everett Brubaker said it all starts with an energy audit.
EVERETT BRUBAKER: … and that energy audit is a key step in the process, for us to see where that home is leaking, where is there insufficient insulation, what is the heating and cooling system like. So from that audit, we determine what improvements can be made. They often include things like, heating and cooling improvements or replacements, insulation, we're looking at LED lightbulbs, we're also looking at some home repair.
His organization has partnered with others in the area, including Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, or CAAV, to educate the public about these services. CAAV recently won a $35,000 grant from the advocacy group Clean Virginia to fund marketing and outreach.
Brubaker said their programs are open to both renters and homeowners, and qualifying criteria include the residents' income level and age.
BRUBAKER: They're really the households that are often facing the highest energy burden, so they're paying a higher proportion of their income on energy than the rest of us, and then they're often in homes that are older, inefficient. Sometimes there are safety concerns as well. So we're trying to reach those households, but we're also trying to reach more historically marginalized households, and homes that are more left out of the types of investments in clean energy and energy efficiency that are so important.
To learn more, visit CHPenergysolutions.org.
