October 29, 2024
Barbara Plitt lives a colorful life. It recently became greener.
In the name of energy efficiency and lower electric costs, Plitt’s Strasburg home underwent a weatherization makeover earlier this year at the hands of Community Housing Partners’ Energy Solutions division. The 200-plus-year-old house, which its artistic occupant has transformed into a creative space full of vibrant butterflies and other colorful pieces, received new insulation, a water heater wrap, weatherstripping, bathroom ventilation, and more.
It didn’t cost Plitt a dime, and it should save her plenty of dollars. “It’s not just me. It’s a win for everybody,” she says. “You’re not wasting money on electricity I don’t really need. It’s a win for me, a win for my neighbors. I try not to waste a lot of stuff, and I try to be conscious of the earth and how many people are on it.”
CHP is the appointed weatherization agency with jurisdiction in SVEC’s service territory, providing energy-efficiency upgrades to income-qualified renters and homeowners. Federal and state programs help the Christiansburg-based nonprofit offer its service at no cost. The improvements help lower monthly utility bills, increase comfort, and improve health and safety.
SVEC, through its wholesale energy provider, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, supports the program by providing supplemental funding where there may be gaps in other resources for co-op member projects such as Plitt’s.
Members must submit their utility bills and a few other documents as part of the application process so the nonprofit agency can verify eligibility. After approval and a home energy audit, an action plan is developed to make the home more energy efficient.
This article was originally written by Preston Knight and was published in the October 2024 edition of Shenandoah Valley Electric’s Cooperative Living Magazine. Read the full article here.