Summary
Consumers are especially concerned about rising energy costs, particularly those effecting household expenditures. The University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension, through a weatherization grant from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, is providing community action agency file and field monitoring as well as consumer education. These agencies are allocated American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds with which to weatherize low-income homes.
Situation
The US Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) has been enabling low-income families to make energy efficient improvements to their homes for more than 30 years. The focus of the program is to reduce state and national energy consumption, and improve the health and safety of consumer homes.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided additional funding for the WAP program. State of Georgia weatherization funds are distributed through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) to community action agency service providers.
ARRA funds for weatherization were allocated to be spent from August 2009 until March 2012. Currently, 22 community action agencies in Georgia provide weatherization services. Each agency is charged with weatherizing a specific number of homes during the designated ARRA funding period.
EOA of Savannah serves the Chatham County area and must weatherize more than 350 homes. The Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Agency serves Bryan, Camden, Glynn, Liberty, Long and McIntosh Counties. This agency must weatherize more than 450 homes.
Response
The University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension, through a weatherization grant from GEFA, is providing agency file and field monitoring as well as consumer education during the ARRA funding period.
The Chatham County-based Weatherization and Energy Educator and nine others statewide provide file monitoring and communicate program information regarding the weatherization process, the benefits of weatherization and other related topics. Consumer utility bill data will be documented in the UGA Cooperative Extension's Home Weatherization Project Evaluation in order to determine if the home weatherization program improves the efficiency of home utilities resulting in lower water, heat and cooling bills.
Impact
More than 300 consumer weatherization files from EOA of Savannah and the Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Agency have been reviewed since July 2010. More than 13 programming opportunities have been conducted in a multi-county area since July 2010.
Programming locations and audiences include senior citizens organizations and centers, a multi-county healthcare provider and community information fair events.
Agency support includes sharing Cooperative Extension materials on mold and mildew. More than 20 Liberty County homes were deferred for weatherization because of mold problems. The agency now routinely provides this information to homeowners seeking weatherization assistance.
The UGA Weatherization Program is providing file documentation monitoring assistance as well as consumer education support to the agencies charged with weatherizing homes. File reviews and the distribution of extension consumer information on topics related to housing and other energy related areas should prove beneficial to the agencies and most importantly the consumers.
State Issue
Healthy, Safe and Affordable Housing Environments
Details
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Year:
2010
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Geographic Scope:
Multi-County
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County:
Chatham
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Program Areas:
- Family and Consumer Sciences
