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Last updated on Sunday, November 11, 2012
(BLOOMINGTON) - The City of Bloomington’s efforts to help residents reduce energy consumption will continue this year with the third annual round of free home energy assessments offered through the Beat the Meter Blitz.
The limited-time program will provide free energy assessments to interested Bloomington homeowners via a lottery system.
"These energy assessments really help households prioritize how to invest in energy efficiency," said Lisa Abbott, director of the City's Department of Housing and Neighborhood Development (HAND). "We're hoping to see the same enthusiastic response to the Beat the Meter Blitz that we've seen the last two years."
As a result of audits done during last year's Beat the Meter Blitz, 55 percent of participating households completed at least one improvement, and 25 percent completed all of the improvements included in their pledge, which they signed as part of the program.
HAND, the City's Economic and Sustainable Development Department (ESD) and the local chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) are the partners behind the program.
"We're trying to reduce the financial barriers that households face when they're looking to become more energy efficient," said Jacqui Bauer, the City's sustainability coordinator. "This program is about reducing our environmental footprint and recommending homeowner investments that will reduce household bills at the same time. Some of these investments pay themselves off in less than five years."
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, residential buildings use about 20 percent of all energy consumed in the United States, and roughly 54 percent of that total is for space heating and air conditioning.
The free assessments, awarded via a lottery system and conducted by HAND and ESD staff and USGBC volunteers, will help homeowners determine where to put their money first. To be eligible, the home must be owner-occupied and located within the Bloomington city limits. In exchange for the free assessment, participating homeowners will be asked to sign a pledge committing to implement some of the suggested improvements.
Interested homeowners can enter in the lottery by emailing their names, phone number and address to energy@bloomington.in.gov or by calling HAND at 349.3420. All lottery entries must be received before noon on Nov. 21. Assessments will be scheduled during the second and third weeks of December.
For more resources on saving energy in your home, visit www.bloomington.in.gov/energyresources.
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