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 Lanny Curtis scooped his walk in Broken Bow Saturday after an early-season storm dumped several inches of snow in the area.
By ELLEN MORTENSEN
Chief Assistant Editor
Many old-timers, and the Farmer’s Almanac, have been predicting for months that this year is going to bring a long, harsh winter. And if this past weekend was any indication of things to come, they may be right. After enjoying temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s midweek, Friday brought a drastic change in the weather. As a cold front began to make its way in to the area, temperatures began to fall. Those falling temps prompted many area residents to do something they may not have been quite ready to do yet (besides shovel snow) - turn on the heat.
In an economy where many are strictly watching their budgets, the thought of winter heat bills can be a little frightening. However, there are resources available to help both home owners and renters prepare for the cold months ahead while helping to cut those heating costs. One of those resources is a weatherization program through Central Nebraska Community Services. The following real-life story is used with their permission.
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Last winter, an elderly Sargent man contacted CNCS weatherization specialist Sharon Jonak for help. He said someone from the gas company was just at his home and red-tagged his furnace and shut off the gas.
His furnace wasn’t working properly and he had called the gas company to come out and repair it. Little did he know they would find cracks in the heat exchanger and soon he wouldn’t have any heat for his home.
He was told to shut off the water so his pipes wouldn’t freeze. He had no money to replace a furnace. Desperate, he called CNCS and was put in touch with Jonak. She, in turn, contacted the gas company and got them to fax a letter to CNCS explaining the problem with Mr. Haswell’s furnace.
Meanwhile, an application to income-qualify Haswell for the weatherization program was completed, a house inspection was done and a furnace contractor was called. After completing a check of the furnace, the contractor e-mailed a bid to the weatherization department.
The bid was approved and the contractor’s wife picked the furnace up in Kearney and delivered it to the client’s home where the contractor was removing the old furnace and getting ready to install the new one. Gene had heat by 7 p.m. the second night - a 36 hour turn around.
During the interim, Haswell had borrowed some portable heaters from family and friends and spent only one night in his home without a furnace. Needless to say, he was a very happy and grateful man.
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Jonak says the turn around is not usually this fast, but Mr. Haswell’s case was an emergency. Primarily her organization deals with helping low-income individuals winterize their homes, making them more efficient and thus costing less to heat. She says the weatherization’s departments main priority is insulating attics and side walls.
Three weatherization crews cover 21 counties in north central Nebraska. Since its origin in 1965, this non-profit health and human services corporation has addressed the needs of thousands of people, like Gene, through its programs and services.
Weatherization is a term to describe various improvements made to buildings and homes to optimize energy efficiency. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, on average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 32 percent and overall energy bills by about $350 per year at current prices.
Through an evaluation known as an energy audit, residents are given a detailed report identifying problem areas in the home. With CNCS, this is done by a home inspection.
Once the problem areas are identified and the applicant meets the income guidelines, a crew is sent out to do the work; insulate, repair or replace windows and doors, clean and tune furnaces and minor repairs. These are the most common improvements.
Jonak says CNCS can also perform repairs on water heaters if needed, and, like in Gene’s case, replace a furnace if necessary. However, the corporation does have limited funds and is allotted a certain number of homes in each county. Jonak says she does currently have a waiting list in all 21 counties.
Renters, as well as home owners, are eligible for the weatherization program. In that case it is only the renter’s resources, not the home owners, that are used to establish need.
For those needing assistance with their energy bills, the Nebraska Low Income Energy Assistance Program helps people with limited incomes offset the cost of heating and cooling their homes. The program will partially pay the cost of electricity, fuel oil, gas, coal, wood, kerosene, propane or other fuel source.
Eligibility is based on a household’s resources and income. Resources that are counted include cash on hand, checking and savings accounts, time certificates, CDs, stocks, bonds and property other than your home. The resource limit is $5,000.
Grant amounts are based on your income, type of residence and the type of fuel used. The minimum payment per fuel type is: electricity, natural gas and coal - $290; fuel oil and kerosene - $483; propane - $504; wood - $395.
Those who have been threatened with a utility shutoff, or have received a shutoff notice, may be eligible for up to $500 in additional assistance. To be eligible for crisis assistance an individual must meet the resource and income guidelines, and have attempted to keep utility bills current but unforeseen circumstances have created the crisis. In most instances the payment will be sent directly to the utility providers.
Preparing your home for the cold months ahead will likely be a very worthwhile investment of your time. Caulking, weatherstripping, and replacing or covering drafty windows and doors can save you money and keep you warmer.
However, for those without the resources or ability to do these projects themselves, these programs are available to help. |
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