In the world of energy conservation, one common impediment derails electricity- and water-saving measures before they begin — it costs money to save money.
But a new partnership between the Truckee Donner Public Utility District and the Truckee Family Resource Center has flipped this paradox on its head. For local low-income residents, it now pays to save energy and water.
The Energy Savings Program, launched by the Truckee Donner Public Utility District in 2009, rebates the highest energy bill in the last six months to income-qualified costumers who complete an energy survey and install energy-saving measures like compact fluorescent lightbulbs and pipe insulation.
Low-income residents, residents who have lost more than 25 percent of their household income, and residents who are already receiving government benefits (like food stamps) qualify for the program.
‘The program is a lifesaver for 90 percent of our families,’ said Bojana Vujeva, program director for the Truckee Family Resource Center.
Families often come into the Family Resource Center looking for help when they are three or four months behind on electricity payments, said Vujeva. The one-time savings and monthly energy bill reduction ‘gives them breathing room to get current on payments,’ she said.
Once they are in the center, advocates are able to help them with other issues.
‘If someone is struggling with their PUD bill it is likely they are struggling in other areas as well,’ said Vujeva. ‘[This program] exposes clients who are struggling to [pay for] services they might not have been aware of.’
The program was started in 2009 and is capped at an annual participation of 200 residents, which was filled in its first year. So far this year, the program has received over 100 participants.
At the utility district, where conservation has become an increasing focus over the last several years, the program is part of a broader energy-efficiency effort that has been remarkably successful in the past few years. The utility has handed out over 200,000 energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. The district can see its energy program taking effect, as the total electricity usage in the district drops between 2 and 3 percent each year. And the Energy Savings Program targets low-income residences, which often can have the most dramatic energy improvement while helping residents make it through a difficult recession.
Once a person qualifies for the program, a surveyor from the Sierra Green Building Association will conduct an energy survey of the home and provide the resident with the energy- and water-saving products that can include a hot water heater jacket, pipe insulation, door sweeps, and compact fluorescent lightbulbs. After the survey and installation of the conservation products, the resident will receive a rebate for the household’s highest utility bill from the past six months (up to $200). Info: Truckee Donner Public Utility District, (530) 582-3931, tdpud.org
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