The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) and its statewide partners have surpassed 5,000 homes receiving weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades for the program year that began July 1, 2009, the GEO announced today.

Updated by Staff

It may not have the sex appeal of some of the other initiatives the Ritter Administration and the Governor’s Energy Office have championed, but the results of the weatherization program have been significant.

The GEO and its 11 weatherization partners have significantly increased the number of families served compared to recent years thanks to the additional dollars provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The program has already surpassed last year’s production by more than 1,500 homes with many additional units still to be completed before the end of the fiscal year, June 30.

According to ther GEO, its weatherization program received $79 million in ARRA funding over three years to increase services to families. Those funds have not only helped families live more comfortably in their homes and save money on utility bills, but they have also led to an economic boost, creating an additional 150 jobs in Colorado and sustaining more than 250 existing jobs. In many cases, workers affected by the slowdown in construction trades have been able to join weatherization efforts.
 
“We congratulate our partner agencies across Colorado for rising to the call to extend these services to more homes, more families and bring more workers into our New Energy Economy,” said GEO director Tom Plant. “Making homes more energy efficient saves money for those who most need it, creates good jobs, increases our energy independence and reduces climate-altering emissions.”
 
These homes could not have received weatherization services without the work done by ten local agencies throughout the state: Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, Housing Resources of Western Colorado, Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency, Veterans Green Jobs (Denver and Jefferson counties and the San Luis Valley), Longs Peak Energy Conservation, Energy Resource Center, Arapahoe County Weatherization Division, Pueblo County Department of Housing and Human Services, and Northeastern Colorado Association of Local Governments. 
 
Thanks in part to warmer weather; the local weatherization agencies have been able to significantly boost their production over the past several months.  They are now collectively weatherizing close to 200 homes per week. Aside from adding insulation to walls, attics and other poorly or non-insulated areas, weatherization crews seal leaks in ducts and other areas of the home as well as - in some cases - replace old, inefficient appliances. Crews have replaced 1,328 furnaces, 1,484 refrigerators and 135 water heaters since the start of the fiscal year July 1, 2009.
 
Families who have received weatherization services see, on average, a savings of $350 on their annual energy bills, depending on energy prices. Of the 5,000 homes served, 26 percent have residents older than 60 in the home; 18 percent have children under 5; 23 percent have a disabled resident.
 
In addition to the work being done by local agencies, The Governor’s Energy Office weatherization program partners with a multi-family provider, Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC), to serve larger, centrally heated, buildings across the state.  EOC expects to deliver over 1,000 completed units this month.
 
Households that qualify for weatherization services include those where residents are already receiving financial assistance under other programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), Supplemental Security Income, Aid to the Needy and Disabled (AND) and Old Age Pension (OAP). Eligibility can also be determined by household income. Under ARRA, households making up to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible. To learn more about GEO’s income-qualified weatherization program visit rechargecolorado.com or call the Recharge Colorado call center at 1-800-462-0184.