Community Energy Partnership grants aim to help low-income Vermonters

Burlington, VT

For the second year in a row, Efficiency Vermont is launching a grant program for non-profit organizations to help low-income Vermonters reduce their energy bills. The grant program was first launched in January 2014 with participation from the Committee on Temporary Shelter, Energy Coop of Vermont, Onion River Exchange, and Capstone Community Action.

The first year of the grant program resulted in a total of 35 megawatt hours of energy saved. In addition, the organizations conducted 185 home energy visits, which involved replacing inefficient light bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, installing energy-saving low-flow water devices and advanced power strips, and identifying other opportunities to reduce energy use, such as replacing inefficient refrigerators and implementing weatherization projects.   

“With funds from Efficiency Vermont’s Community Energy Partnership program, we completed more than 90 low-cost furnace tune-ups and home energy visits in Chittenden County mobile homes,” said John Quinney of Energy Coop of Vermont, “We installed more than 700 compact fluorescent light bulbs, identified dozens of opportunities for thermal energy savings, and replaced several old and inefficient furnaces.”

“Efficiency Vermont offered a means to connect with the community, to give home energy site visits, and to present energy efficiency workshops,” said Heather Kralik of Onion River Exchange. “Many of our members were in need of a hands-on consultation to increase energy efficiency, save money, and get advice for where to go from here.”

Thanks to the program’s great success last year, Efficiency Vermont is teaming up with Burlington Electric Department to offer a second round of grants to non-profits that serve low-income Vermonters. Interested organizations are invited to submit proposals specifying ways they would use the funding to help their clients save energy.

“Energy costs are a huge burden for low-income Vermonters, who spend a larger percentage of their incomes on energy than anyone else in the state,” said Liz Gamache, Director of Efficiency Vermont. “By partnering with Vermont non-profits, we’ll help to lessen this financial weight for the second year in a row.”

Organizations interested in submitting a proposal or learning more can visit www.veic.org/company/requests-for-proposals. The proposal deadline is 5:00 p.m. on May 15, 2015. The one-year grant program will award funds to grant recipients in July of 2015.

About Efficiency Vermont

As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.

Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]