Help My House Getting Rave Reviews | Article

Andrea Jones used to spend $500-$700 on her electric bill every month trying to keep her house livable for herself, her two young children (aged 2 and 8), and her mother. Despite her best efforts, the family room remained cold in winter and hot in summer. In 2012, Andrea joined the Help My House pilot project, which provided energy efficient upgrades to members of her electrical cooperative (co-op) at no upfront cost to the homeowner. Contractors sealed air leaks (including a huge hole behind the fireplace), replaced the electric furnace and AC units with a high efficiency heat pump, repaired and installed new duct work, added 27 bags of insulation, and patched holes under the house.

See what "Help My House" participants Teri and John Norsworthy thought of the program

In the year since her upgrades, Andrea hasn’t paid a monthly electric bill higher than $277. The energy savings make the $69 monthly loan repayment, which is part of her electric bill, easily affordable. In addition to the financial benefits, Andrea raves that "comfort is much better ... seems like the air is better to breathe, too. I tell people to go to Santee Electric [one of the South Carolina co-ops participating in the pilot project] and ask them about the program."

Check out the above video to see what Teri and John Norsworthy thought of Help My House. The fixed-income retirees jumped at the chance to reduce their monthly electric bill, which could reach as high as $500 per month. Now, their house stays a comfortable temperature, and their electric bill has been drastically reduced.

EESI and its partners, the Central Electric Power Cooperative and The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, found that the average house cut its electricity use by 34 percent. This saved customers an average of $288 per year after loan payments, which is projected to increase to more than $1,100 annually after the loans are fully repaid. Close to or more than 90% of participants were somewhat or very satisfied with post-upgrade comfort levels, electric bills, and their co-op.

Author: Allison Hays

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