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Community groups throughout the state say federal stimulus money helped double the number of Illinois homes that were weatherized to help save energy and money.
The Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies says its members weatherized 17,000 homes in the past year. The savings for homeowners averages $437 a year.
The group estimates the work also supported 500 jobs.
Weatherizing in Illinois cost almost $43 million in federal funds.
In fiscal 2009-10, Community Contacts weatherized 600 homes. More than half of the homes, 312, were in Aurora.
The numbers tripled from the previous fiscal year, when 200 homes were done, Tosch said.
The program is anticipating another heavy year for applications, and has the funding to do another 600 homes for 2010-11. "It cuts the utility cost for our client, and makes the homes more affordable," he said.
To start the process, the low-income homeowner or renter needs to contact the organization to apply for weatherization help. Community Contacts will evaluate their finances to find out if they qualify, and then do an energy audit on the home, to find out what work needs to be done. Typically, the organization does a lot of insulation work, furnace repairs, caulking and ceiling bypasses. A ceiling bypass is when energy is escaping through a gap, typically in the attic, and must be sealed with foam, Tosch said.
"We do as many cost reduction weatherization measures as we can," he said.
Most of the work pays for itself. The savings returned is typically higher than the money invested into a project, Tosch said.
Most of the savings comes on the gas bill for heating in the winter. Applicants can still save a large amount on cooling in the summer, so the saving is year 'round, he said.
"While there is more interest in the program in the winter as people become aware of their heating bills, there are a lot of homes that receive repairs in the summer as well," he said.
In addition to providing savings to homeowners and renters, the weatherization program helps in another way. Tosch said they added about six new contractors who may have created up to 20 new jobs just to help with the program.
"A lot of contractors were looking for work to do, and I think this helped them stay in business, quite frankly," he said. "This has made a big impact in the local economy."
Help with weatherization
For information on the home weatherization program, contact Community Contacts:
By mail at 100 S. Hawthorne St., Elgin, IL 60123
By phone at 847-697-8800
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