Free improvements for low-to-moderate income residents
CCSE and the City of San Diego have launched a new citywide program that offers funding for low-to-moderate income residents to reduce their energy bills at no cost while improving the comfort, health and safety of their homes. The San Diego Home Energy Upgrade ( SDHEU) program is part of the City of San Diego’s continuing efforts to encourage residents to implement energy efficiency and improve the quality of their homes and neighborhoods.
"The San Diego Home Energy Upgrade program fulfills several priorities for our city: It helps residents lower their energy costs, it improves the homes in our communities and it creates jobs for San Diegans," Mayor Jerry Sanders said at a press conference held August 30. The press conference was held at the home of Dale and Lena Kimmey of Paradise Hills, which is the first residence to receive the benefits of the program that provided attic insulation, extensive air sealing, air infiltration testing and mechanical ventilation.
The SDHEU program provides eligible participants with basic energy upgrades of their homes for free while supporting the local home retrofit industry and creating new jobs. The program’s goal is to conduct 2,000 residential energy efficiency upgrades within the next year that produce average home energy savings of 15 to 20 percent.
CCSE is administering and implementing the program in coordination with the energy efficiency firms Heshong-Mahone Group and Richard-Heath & Associates and the community group Environmental Health Coalition.
"The Home Energy Upgrade program contributes significantly to San Diego’s efforts to empower low-to-moderate income residents to move toward creating healthier homes, sustainable communities and a clean energy future," said Irene Stillings, CCSE executive director. "All of the elements necessary are in place, with prequalified contractors and a variety of additional incentive programs, to help extend home energy efficiency into San Diego’s less affluent communities, bringing with it many corollary benefits."
Upgrade measures include additional attic insulation, extensive air sealing, air infiltration testing and mechanical ventilation, valued at approximately $1,000 per household with program funding coming from the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. Additional funds for energy upgrades will come from San Diego Gas & Electric through its Energy Savings Assistance Program and from the statewide Energy Upgrade California™ program, a joint effort of the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission.
The SDHEU program is now available to San Diego residents who live in both single-family and multifamily homes who meet certain income qualifications. Also eligible are those who participate in several assistance programs, such as Health Families A&B, Medicaid/Medi-Cal and others.
For further information about San Diego Home Energy Upgrade, click here.
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