As families across South Carolina continue to struggle with rising
energy bills, electric cooperatives have launched a major educational
campaign to help members conserve energy — and award some hefty grand
prize packages worth up to $10,000.
The campaign is called “Help My House,” and it’s soon to be seen — beyond this website — on a television station near you. The entry deadline for the contest has passed. Check back in October to find out who the winners are.
Does your home need help? Does it suffer from inadequate attic and
floor insulation? Are certain rooms prone to overheating in the summer
and are never warm enough in the winter?
If so, you’re not alone. Fact is, most of the homes in South Carolina
are not energy efficient. Most have problems such as missing or
improperly installed insulation. These problems account for huge
amounts of energy loss, as if your home were wearing a coat filled with
holes.
What’s worse, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that up to 40
percent of heated or cooled air is lost through leaky ductwork. Why,
then, do so many homeowners pay for expensive heating and cooling
equipment yet fail to have their ductwork checked? It’s like installing
a supercharged engine in a car with flat tires.
If your home feels drafty in the winter or uncomfortable in the summer,
and your bills are high, then you probably have air leaks. Combined,
they may very well be the equivalent of keeping a window or door open!
Typical sources of leaks include attic access points, recessed lighting
fixtures, other ceiling penetrations, windows and doors, and basement
band boards.
The average homeowner spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills,
but a large portion of that money is wasted. More than half of all
single-family homes were built before the enactment
of modern energy codes.
The key to achieving energy savings in your home is a whole-house
energy-efficiency plan. The whole-house approach ensures the greatest
return on your efficiency investment.
Educating consumers about the benefits of whole-house energy efficiency
and conservation measures around the home is the goal of the “Help My
House” campaign. The centerpiece of Help My House will be a series of
home energy-efficiency makeovers. Cooperatives will award seven
makeovers, one in each of the television market (broadcast) regions
around the state. Each home makeover, valued at up to $10,000, is
intended to help demonstrate how homeowners can save energy and lower
bills.
Four finalists will be chosen in each television market in South
Carolina. Finalists will be selected through an application screening
process that identifies those homes with the greatest potential to
demonstrate energy savings. Each of the finalists will receive a free
comprehensive home energy-efficiency analysis. The finalists’ home
analyses will begin with home energy audits and diagnostic tests to
determine the airtightness of the homes. Air-sealing homes stops air
leakage through hidden holes, gaps and cracks. Insulating homes makes
them more efficient.
Of those finalists, seven homeowners across the state will receive
grand prizes, worth up to $10,000 each in energy-efficiency
improvements.
Local television newscasts across South Carolina will cover and
broadcast the seven winning home makeovers this fall. The stations
include, WBTW-TV in Myrtle Beach/Florence, WBTV in Charlotte, WCBD-TV in Charleston, WIS-TV in Columbia, WRDW-TV in Augusta, WSAV-TV in Savannah and WSPA-TV
in Spartanburg. By partnering with these television stations, the
Help My House campaign aims to enlighten and motivate viewers to make
changes — large and small — to help weatherize their homes, take
advantage of new technology, and make the most of energy-efficiency tax
credits.
Co-op members and all viewers will learn the advantages of a
whole-house approach to saving energy and money. Post diagnostic energy
audits for each makeover home will demonstrate the benefits of this
approach by comparing before and after energy consumption.
Funding for the Help My House campaign is provided by electric
cooperatives, The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., the
state trade association for the co-ops, and corporates sponsors
including Lennox , Glenco Insulation , Marathon Water Heaters and Apple Blossom Insulators.
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