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Program Offers Funds to Help Mainers Weatherize Homes

January 12, 2010 - AUGUSTA -- Any homeowner in Maine who wants to weatherize their home now has as many as 3,000 more reasons to do so.

Those who invest in insulation and other home modifications to cut their energy use by at least 25 percent can receive $1,500 from the state; for cutting energy use in half, the grant can be $3,000.

The money is coming from federal stimulus funds.

Jane Funk and Stuart Finkelstein, who own an 1832 farmhouse in Warren, were among the first to receive checks. Before they weatherized, they were burning six to seven cords of wood every winter, while burning 300 gallons of oil, yet still feeling cold.

Friday morning, it was 6 degrees outside, Finkelstein said, but perfectly warm inside.

Their home's leaks have been sealed, which has made it much less drafty. Cellulose insulation has been densely packed into the walls and roof slopes, and loosely blown into the attic to improve heat retention.

Work has been done in the basement to seal off moisture, improve drainage and eliminate drafts, which has made the home more energy-efficient while improving air quality and reducing potential long-term structural damage from moisture.

Mainers remain the highest per-capita users of petroleum products in the country, largely because of older housing and a high percentage of homes heated with oil.

The average oil-heated home burns 800 gallons a year, said Maine Public Utilities Commission Chair Sharon Reishus.

"The resources that flow out of the state could surely be used here at home," Gov. John Baldacci said at a press conference in his office, announcing the grants.

"This program is about saving Mainers money and providing jobs for auditors, installers and retailers."

In order to qualify for the funds, a homeowner must first get an energy audit from a certified energy auditor, of which Maine has about 350.

Together, the homeowner and a contractor submit an application to an organization called the Conservation Services Group, which has been hired by the state to manage the program.

When the project is done, the homeowner mails in a form to receive $3,000 for 50 percent efficiency improvements, or $1,500 for 25 percent energy improvements.

Not all of the improvements are cheap. Funk and Finkelstein contacted Evergreen Home Performance of Rockland, which specializes in audits and weatherization renovations, and got a list of suggested renovations that totaled $25,000.

"We were going to stretch this out over several years," said Finkelstein. "This (program) made it possible for us to do it all at once."

Homeowners who are interested in the program are encouraged to call (877) 334-6583.

By ETHAN WILENSKY-LANFORD, Kennebec Journal, January 9, 2010


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