By Norma Gutierrez
After months of struggling with high energy bills at her home in Dryden, Julie Tottey contacted the Smart Energy Choices program for assistance. She was set up with a free home energy assessment and applied for grants to cover the cost of some essential home energy upgrades and installations. She has noticed a reduction in her energy usage and costs since installing a new refrigerator and insulation throughout the home.
Tottey is recently widowed and learning how to independently manage the maintenance and finances of her house. High energy bills were eating up her budget each month, and she didn’t understand why or how to keep up with the rising costs. She said that reaching out to the Smart Energy Choices program was a helpful step in learning more about her energy bill, the condition of her home, and the available resources she may qualify for to make home energy improvements.
“My husband recently passed away, and he didn’t have any life insurance, so I’ve been trying my best to manage everything on my own,” Tottey said. “My energy bills were really high, around $800 per month.”
Hensley, a Community Energy Advisor (CEA) in Tompkins County, suggested a free home energy assessment for Tottey to identify areas of her home that could be improved. During the assessment, Tottey discovered that her house was consuming a substantial amount of energy to operate older appliances and heat her living space. A lack of proper insulation throughout the home was allowing both heat and moisture to leak through the walls and ceiling.
“There was hardly any insulation throughout the house; there was visible [ghosting] on the ceiling and walls,” Tottey said. “Our old refrigerator was also consuming a lot of energy.”
Hensley referred Tottey to grants that she could apply for to help cover the cost of installing new insulation and other home energy upgrades.
Tottey’s work was completed through EmPower+, and she also received a discount on her bill, thanks to some hands-on work from her contractor.
After installing new insulation throughout the home and a new refrigerator, Tottey has noticed a reduction in her energy usage and costs. She said she felt more comfortable in her home throughout the cool and damp spring season. The house was better insulated from the moisture and rainy weather, keeping the warmth in and the damp air out.
“The consultation by the Hub and the installation work performed by [the contractor] were excellent,” Tottey said. “I can’t say enough about the experience and all the work they did.”
The installations and upgrades completed throughout the house helped save on costs, both from reduced energy consumption and from the monthly discount on her service delivery.
“My bill is now around $100 less a month, and I really appreciate all the extra help offered to lower my bill,” she said.
There are other improvements she would like to make to her home, she said.
“I still have visible [ghosting] on the ceilings and would like to get some work done [to remove it],” she said.
Tottey didn’t qualify for another local grant that she needed to fix the water damage to the ceiling. So, she requested a follow-up consultation with Hensley, who is exploring available programs that may help her afford to continue making improvements to her home.
Although everyone is experiencing hikes in energy rates this year, with the help of Smart Energy Choices, Tottey learned of a few factors impacting her energy consumption and ways to lower her bill. She not only is lowering her energy costs by conserving more energy, but she also benefits from an extra credit, reducing the cost of her monthly service delivery. This is just one example of the rewards that come with making some simple improvements to replace older appliances as well as seal and weatherize your home.
Are you interested in learning more about the condition of your home and ways you can save on energy costs? CEAs are available to speak with residents in the eight counties of the Southern Tier. Contact a CEA near you for solutions tailored to your specific energy needs.