Last week, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey touted the establishment of a new program geared to help homeowners upgrade their residences to lower their bills. From the United States Department of Energy came $88 million of $8.8 billion distributed to states nationally to support two programs for West Virginia residents.
The Mountain State rolled out its version of the programs before any other state.
“Affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing West Virginia families, and lowering monthly energy bills is one way we can help families keep more of their hard-earned money,” said Governor Morrisey. “We want to hold down energy costs, create good-paying jobs, and make sure West Virginians have every opportunity to get ahead.”
The two programs at the state level in West Virginia are called the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings program, or HOMES, and the Home Efficiency Appliance Rebates, or HEAR. Currently, the programs are operating on a pilot basis as applications start to come in. Execution of the programs will take place after the pilot stage is complete.
The HOMES program, according to the West Virginia Office of Energy, includes “upgrading insulation, replacing outdated equipment, or installing a heat pump.” Regulations state that equipment “may only be upgraded when switching to an energy efficient model or equivalent. For example, a gas appliance may be replaced with a more efficient gas model, while an electric appliance may be replaced with a more efficient electric model.”
Additionally, “rebates are available to households of all income levels, and the more energy your project saves, the more this program will cover.”
The HEAR program has a slightly different focus. It “aims to help West Virginia residents lower the cost of purchasing and installing energy-saving appliances and upgrades.”
The HOMES program has a four step process. First, residents apply for household qualification. Applications go to the West Virginia Office of Energy, but Regional Implementation Partners are available to provide assistance “every step of the way.” In Harrison County, that agency is CHANGE Inc. (Calhoun – Coalfield Community Action Partnership In P and Hardy, Eastern Action)
Next, “certified energy auditors visit the homes to assess opportunities for energy savings.” After the energy audit, residents will receive a “customized plan” suggesting energy efficient measures to adopt moving forward.
Finally, certified contractors come to install the upgrades.
Examples of eligible upgrades include heat pump installations, gas equipment upgrades, and weatherization improvements.
The rebate amount received is calculated via a formula that adds household income to projected energy savings.
For HEAR, the first step is the same, but second brings certified energy auditors to analyze household appliances and their energy use. The third and last step comes when certified contractors complete the work required.
The West Virginia Office of Energy’s websites explaining the programs have additional information for potential applicants, contractors, and others.
