South Portland launches new home energy program
50 South Portland households can assess and make minor repairs to their home energy system with municipal support.
Homeowners and renters can apply for free home weatherization assistance to improve energy efficiency, lower their costs and improve sustainability. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
“We want to take a holistic approach to helping people come up with a plan,” said Julie Rosenbach, the sustainability director. “We want to reduce the growing energy costs for people with fixed incomes, low incomes and moderate incomes.”
After submitting an application, staff from the sustainability office will conduct an intake call to establish what the individual needs are before setting up a home visit. An energy auditor will conduct an hour-long assessment of heating systems, insulation and air sealing opportunities and provide guidance about which improvements to prioritize.
Sustainability staff and local contractors will help with basic weatherization improvements — like sealing holes and cracks around doors and windows and insulating pipes— and brainstorm plans for home energy efficiency upgrades at a follow-up visit that could last up to four hours.
Other towns, like Falmouth and Yarmouth, have their own energy coaching programs, training and sending volunteers to answer questions about energy improvements. Rosenbach wanted to do a different model, one that provides more hands-on and professional support. The city and its contractors will provide materials, such as outlet and light switch sealers, to assist with basic improvements.
The sustainability office will host office hours on Mondays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. starting in September to answer questions about available rebates, tax credits and incentives as well as present options for energy efficiency. Office hours are open to any resident, not just those participating in the new offering.
The program – in collaboration with Age Friendly South Portland – was made possible with funding from the American Association of Retired Persons and a Maine Community Foundation grant. Age Friendly volunteers will pass out free weatherization kits at city events this summer and fall.
“We want to help people stay in their homes and make it more liveable and energy efficient,” Rosenbach said. “We’re not going to solve the problem, but we can start to help people understand their home and have agency.”
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Tagged: energy, energy costs, energy efficiency
Dana Richie is a community reporter covering South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Originally from Atlanta, she fell in love with the landscape and quirks of coastal New England while completing her undergraduate. More by Dana Richie
