Habitat for Humanity Choptank and Easton Utilities are partnering once again to help low- and moderate-income homeowners improve energy efficiency and lower their monthly utility bills. Funded by the Maryland Energy Administration’s (MEA) 2016-2017 EmPower Clean Energy Communities Low to Moderate Income (LMI) grant, the initiative will fund cost-effective energy efficiency measures that may include appliance replacement, insulation, HVAC upgrades or tune-ups, and repairs to make homes less drafty.
“Supporting projects that improve the health and well-being of all Maryland residents while saving energy and money reinforces the MEA mission of promoting affordable, reliable, clean energy,” said Mary Beth Tung., Director of MEA. “We are pleased to partner once again with Habitat Choptank and Easton Utilities to build a stronger and more resilient Eastern Shore.”
“Often, the people who would benefit most from energy upgrades are least able to afford them,” said Rhodana Fields, construction supervisor for Habitat Choptank. “Partnering to improve energy efficiency is a vital part of creating affordable, sustainable housing in our local communities. Energy efficiency improvements are important to the ongoing mission of building simple, decent, affordable housing.”
In 2015 Easton Utilities and Habitat Choptank partnered to serve 18 local households. This year, the total grant funds awarded to Power Up has increased. Qualifying home owners will receive a home energy audit by a certified auditor who will identify weatherization and HVAC upgrades appropriate for each home. Based on the audit, certified contractors will install the upgrades. The program will fund upgrades of up to $5,000 per home for projects not involving a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system replacement and a maximum of $8,000 per home for a project involving an HVAC system replacement. MEA funding will cover 100% of the project costs.
To be considered for participation in the program, prospective low- to moderate-income homeowners should call (410) 819-3412.
LMI households are defined as those that earn less than 85% of the County median Income. A family of four must earn less than $67,050 to participate. Income numbers vary by household size and by county. Applications will be reviewed and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and projects funded up to the limit of the funds available from the Maryland Energy Administration. Funds are immediately available. All work must be completed by the end of April 2017.
The LMI grant is a vehicle for Maryland nonprofits to positively impact quality of life improvements for residents via energy efficiency enhancements. The next cycle of the grant will launch in fall of 2017, check energy.maryland.gov/govt/Pages/CleanEnergyLMI.aspx for updates.
Habitat for Humanity Choptank is a faith based non-profit organization that builds simple, decent and affordable homes in partnership with low income families in Talbot and Dorchester counties. In an effort to broaden the scope and impact of its mission, Habitat Choptank has expanded its program to include weatherization services for other homeowners in the communities where it builds.
Easton Utilities is a community-owned, not-for-profit utility and communications company dedicated to improving the quality of life in our community by providing reliable, competitively priced utility and communications services through skilled, safety-oriented and customer-focused employees.
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