From: CHOPPIN@aol.com Full-name: CHOPPIN Message-ID: <cc0.6ac02ee5.387b40a0@aol.com> Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:39:28 EST Subject: Maine Weatherization Assistance MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1263134368" X-Mailer: 9.0 Security Edition for Windows sub 5378 To: undisclosed-recipients:; Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -------------------------------1263134368 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Homeowners who first get an audit may then be eligible for up to $3,000 to make improvements. By ETHAN WILENSKY-LANFORD, Kennebec Journal January 9, 2010 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. Copyright 2010 by The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. All rights reserved.### -------------------------------1263134368 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUS-ASCII" http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.18854"></HEAD> <BODY style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 14= pt" id=3Drole_body bottomMargin=3D7 leftMargin=3D7 rightMargin=3D7 topMar= gin=3D7><FONT id=3Drole_document color=3D#000000 size=3D2 face=3DArial><F= ONT id=3Drole_document color=3D#000000 size=3D4 face=3D"Times New Roman"> <DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3D4> <DIV style=3D"MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; FONT-SIZE: 13px"><FONT size=3D5>Homeown= ers who=20 first get an audit may then be eligible for up to $3,000 to make improveme= nts.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV style=3D"BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORD= ER-RIGHT: 0px" id=3Dstoryinfo><SPAN style=3D"FONT-STYLE: italic" class=3D= author>By ETHAN=20 WILENSKY-LANFORD, Kennebec Journal</SPAN> <!-- <span class=3D"apcredit">&c= opy; Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material= may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.</span> :ap= --><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11px" class=3Ddate>January 9, 2010</SPAN>= </DIV> <DIV id=3Dstory> <DIV style=3D"CLEAR: both"><!-- Multimedia nugget --><!-- end Multimedia= nugget --></DIV><!-- STORY --> <P>Any homeowner in Maine who wants to weatherize their home now has as ma= ny as=20 3,000 more reasons to do so.</P> <P>Those who invest in insulation and other home modifications to cut thei= r=20 energy use by at least 25 percent can receive $1,500 from the state; for= cutting=20 energy use in half, the grant can be $3,000.</P> <P>The money is coming from federal stimulus funds.</P> <P>Jane Funk and Stuart Finkelstein, who own an 1832 farmhouse in Warren,= were=20 among the first to receive checks. Before they weatherized, they were burn= ing=20 six to seven cords of wood every winter, while burning 300 gallons of oil,= yet=20 still feeling cold.</P> <P>Friday morning, it was 6 degrees outside, Finkelstein said, but perfect= ly=20 warm inside.</P> <P>Their home's leaks have been sealed, which has made it much less drafty= .=20 Cellulose insulation has been densely packed into the walls and roof slope= s, and=20 loosely blown into the attic to improve heat retention.</P> <P>Work has been done in the basement to seal off moisture, improve draina= ge and=20 eliminate drafts, which has made the home more energy-efficient while impr= oving=20 air quality and reducing potential long-term structural damage from=20 moisture.</P> <P>Mainers remain the highest per-capita users of petroleum products in th= e=20 country, largely because of older housing and a high percentage of homes= heated=20 with oil.</P> <P>The average oil-heated home burns 800 gallons a year, said Maine Public= =20 Utilities Commission Chair Sharon Reishus.</P> <P>"The resources that flow out of the state could surely be used here at= home,"=20 Gov. John Baldacci said at a press conference in his office, announcing th= e=20 grants.</P> <P>"This program is about saving Mainers money and providing jobs for audi= tors,=20 installers and retailers."</P> <P>In order to qualify for the funds, a homeowner must first get an energy= audit=20 from a certified energy auditor, of which Maine has about 350.</P> <P>Together, the homeowner and a contractor submit an application to an=20 organization called the Conservation Services Group, which has been hired= by the=20 state to manage the program.</P> <P>When the project is done, the homeowner mails in a form to receive $3,0= 00 for=20 50 percent efficiency improvements, or $1,500 for 25 percent energy=20 improvements.</P> <P>Not all of the improvements are cheap. Funk and Finkelstein contacted= =20 Evergreen Home Performance of Rockland, which specializes in audits and=20 weatherization renovations, and got a list of suggested renovations that= totaled=20 $25,000.</P> <P>"We were going to stretch this out over several years," said Finkelstei= n.=20 "This (program) made it possible for us to do it all at once."</P> <P>Homeowners who are interested in the program are encouraged to call (87= 7)=20 334-6583.</P> <DIV id=3Dcopyright>Copyright 2010 by The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sund= ay=20 Telegram. All rights=20 reserved.###</DIV><!-- END STORY --></DIV></FONT></STRONG></DIV></FONT></F= ONT></BODY></HTML> -------------------------------1263134368--