Weatherization Grants to Help 1,700 Low Income Family Homes Improve Energy Efficiency
JULY 21
Crownsville, MD – Five contractors with proven experience in providing weatherization services to low income households have been awarded $3.3 million each through DHCD’s Targeted and Enhanced Weatherization program.
Awarded grants were Edge Energy; Green and Healthy Homes; Hawkeye Construction; Elysian Energy and ADP Consultants.
Funded through the Customer Investment Fund, the three-year grants will enable the contractors to assist more than 500 households a year or about 1,700 households in all. The Customer Investment Fund was established by the Maryland Public Service Commission under the merger settlement between Exelon and the Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
Weatherization is a significant part of the O’Malley-Brown administration’s EmPOWER Maryland initiative to reduce statewide energy consumption by 15 percent by 2015. Improvements such as the installation of energy conservation materials and more efficient furnaces can help reduce a household’s consumption, lower the monthly utility bills, make occupants more comfortable and may improve the air quality and overall health of the family.
The Department of Energy has estimated that each household retrofitted through weatherization services will save on average $350 a year on their energy bills – this is money those families can use on other essential expenses, such as school supplies or health care or transportation.
DHCD’s Targeted and Enhanced Weatherization program helps low-income residential customers who live in older, energy inefficient homes ustomers who cannot be assisted through other programs because of significant household health and safety issues.
