A unique public-private partnership between the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and Columbia Gas of Ohio is resulting in new “green” careers in Northwest Ohio as well as big savings for homeowners.
As part of the BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio program, the Port Authority has trained and equipped two home energy experts to perform home energy evaluations in conjunction with the Columbia Gas Home Performance Solutions program. Each expert received 140 hours of training through Owens Community College and Columbia Gas as well as $10,000 in specialized equipment.
"BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio is focused on providing financing and easy access to cost-effective energy efficiency improvements,” says Kevin Moyer, Executive Director of BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio, a program of the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority. “It is our goal to provide more comfortable homes, buildings and communities -- all while creating stronger bottom lines."
The BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio program was made possible with seed funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy. In lieu of creating a duplicative energy savings program for homeowners, the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority partnered with Columbia Gas to further bolster the existing Home Performance Solutions program. The Port Authority is providing funding and training for additional home energy experts and further resources for the program.
These home energy experts will be utilized in the successful Columbia Gas Home Performance Solutions program which offers residential gas-heating customers a full Home Energy Audit for $50 ($20 for income eligible customers). Columbia Gas will reimburse the audit fee and provide rebates of up to 70 percent when any of the energy-efficient improvements are installed, while funding is available.
To date, more then 7,900 home energy evaluations have been conducted across the Columbia Gas service territory, including 350 in Northwest Ohio. With an average annual savings of $300 per home, the potential economic impact of the program tops $2.3 million dollars annually. With improvements having an impact for 10 to 20 years, these savings grow potentially to $23.7 to $47.7 million.
“The Home Performance Solutions Program will make your home more comfortable year-round and put money back into your pocket,” says Chris Kozak, Communications and Community Relations Manager for Columbia Gas of Ohio. “These savings will have a tangible impact for decades and free up funds in a household’s budget.”
This is the second high profile partnership with the Columbia Gas Home Performance Solutions program. Recently it was announced that Huntington Bank and Columbia Gas partnered so homeowners could secure funds to do recommended improvements at a reduced interest rate.
Program Details:
• To get started, Columbia Gas of Ohio customers can call 1-877-644-6674 or go to ColumbiaGasOhio.com/HPS to schedule a Home Energy Audit.
• To find out more about Huntington’s low interest financing options, consumers can visit Huntington.com/energyfix, visit their nearest Huntington branch or call 1-877-480-3181
About BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio, a program of the Toledo Lucas County Port Authority
Through BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio, owners of virtually every type of building are eligible for low-cost financing to pay for high-efficiency improvements to their facilities and building systems. The goal is to make cost-effective energy practices and technology more accessible to individuals, businesses and governmental entities across Northwest Ohio – while also helping transform the way whole communities use energy. Financing for BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio is available thanks to a $15 million start-up grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The funding was issued in 2010 as part of the Retrofit Ramp-Up project, part of the $80 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. BetterBuildings Northwest Ohio is just one of 25 programs across the nation chosen for participation.
About Columbia Gas
Columbia Gas of Ohio, with headquarters in Columbus, is one of the nine energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). With approximately 1.4 million customers in 61 of Ohio’s 88 counties, it is the largest natural gas utility in the state. NiSource distribution companies serve approximately 3.8 million gas and electric customers primarily in seven states. More information about Columbia Gas of Ohio is available at: ColumbiaGasOhio.com.
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