Weatherization program cuts utility costs

Wednesday was a big day for Danville resident William Jackson.

He watched the house he has lived in for more than 30 years get transformed from a drafty energy waster into a weather-tight home.

Early in the morning, three trucks from J&J Weatherization pulled up in front of the modest Still Street home, and by 9:30 a.m., the attic was already being sprayed full of insulation.

The home had some obvious problems: doors and windows had huge gaps, drawing in warm air and some curious wasps, and the lack of insulation in the attic and exterior walls meant the upstairs of the home could be 30 degrees warmer than the downstairs.

“This is great,” Jackson said, as he watched the work crew haul equipment in and out of his house. “I’m raising my (12-year-old) granddaughter here, and this should make things better.”

The 64-year-old disabled former Dan River Inc. employee said he applied to Pittsylvania County Community Action for weatherization in April, when the program was first announced.

“They said it could cut my power bill, so I wanted to sign up,” Jackson said, noting that he would like to see his summer bill drop from about $140 a month to less than $100, and to see his winter bills — they usually top $200 — come down significantly.

Pittsylvania County Community Action has been running a weatherization program for its clients for several years. It estimates that the weatherization program saves homeowners an average of 26 percent on their utility bills.

Once the insulating was done, Jackson’s home was scheduled for new exterior doors and windows.

The weatherizing only takes a day in most homes, according to Billy Burrill, who has been with J&J Weatherization for 17 years. The Lynchburg company handles attic and wall insulation, air duct diagnostics and chimney relining.

“We’ve all been doing this so long, we all know what we’re doing,” said Burrill.

The company comes out first to do an energy assessment of the homes it weatherizes. Using some space-age-looking equipment, they can find any air leaks in the house. Once the project is complete, they test again to make sure the leaks have been sealed.

Sherman Saunders, executive director of PCCA, said they normally weatherize between 75 and 100 homes a years with state-furnished funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. Federal stimulus funding will add at least 156 houses to the program over the next three years.

Applicants have to meet income guidelines, and applicants who are elderly, disabled or are families with small children are at the top of PCCA’s priority list, Saunders said.

The first part of the award — $1.2 million — was made available in July, and in the first 30 days of the program, PCCA has weatherized 15 homes. Another $1.1 million will become available in 18 months to complete the program.

When the plan was announced in April, applications poured in, Saunders said. Of the 349 applications received, 284 were qualified for the program.

With only about 156 homes covered by the program, and more applications come in everyday, Saunders said PCCA is looking for more weatherization money.

“When this program is done, we intend to ask the federal government for more funding,” Saunders said.

• Contact Thibodeau at dthibodeau@registerbee.com or (434) 791-7985.