Weatherization

Works

Serving Those In Need For More Than 25 Years

Regional Consolidated Services was incorporated in 1979 and less than a year later the Weatherization Assistance program was in place, becoming the second major human service effort launched by the agency. By late 1980, the program in its final form earned the approval of the RCS board of directors. With leadership provided by Director Tiffanie Wilson and Deputy Director Benny Wofford, the Weatherization Program is designed to meet the need for adequate protection against the winter’s cold and the summer’s heat in the homes of the elderly and disabled. Senior citizens suffering with high energy expenses are eligible for assistance. So are families with children under the age of 19. Priority is given overall energy efficiency.

¨ The Congress of the United States enacted the Weatherization Assistance Program in 1976. Regional Consolidated Services has participated in the national program for nearly all of the years energy conservation has been a focus of attention in Washington. RCS annually observes “Weatherization Day” each October as proclaimed by the U. S. Department of Energy and the North Carolina governor’s office. The state Office of Economic Opportunity has estimated that nonprofit agencies like RCS are responsible for an energy cost reduction averaging 25% during North Carolina winters. Energy bills in hundreds of thousands of Tar Heel homes are far more manageable for the elderly and disabled.

¨ The administrative unit of the RCS Weatherization Program functions from the agency’s home office in Asheboro. It oversees operations in five counties of Piedmont North Carolina. The program was begun in Randolph, with Davidson being added in 1982, Rockingham in 1987 and Guilford and Forsyth in 2000.

Weatherization By The Numbers...

 

¨ At current prices, home energy savings average $358 each year – year after year – in weatherized homes.

¨ Approximately 97,300 homes are weatherized nationwide each year.

¨ For every $1 spent to weatherize a home, approximately $1.53 is returned to the family in reduced energy bills.

¨ Weatherization reduces energy bills by 23% for gas heated homes.

¨ In the winter of 2005-2006, weatherized homes nationally saved a combined total of $1.9 billion.

Other appliances and receptacle loads including TV’s, dryers, washers, and small appliances                                27%

Our Staff

The RCS Weatherization Assistance Program staff includes, left to right, back row; Doug Loflin, Chris Adair, Maurice Barber, Todd Morris, Amanda Lee, Gerald Jensen, Tiffanie Wilson and Clarence Thomas. Front Row; Ann Swaim, Benny Wofford, Jo McAninch, Tammy Wilson, Jermaine Covington and Michael Reza.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

Weatherization services are FREE to those who are eligible. Eligibility for the Weatherization Program is based on total household income. All members of the household over the age of 18 must disclose their income. If a household member receives Supplemental Security Income, the home is automatically eligible for Weatherization Services regardless of income. Rental properties fall under a separate set of guidelines. For a small fee, a rental unit may be weatherized if the tenant is income eligible and with consent from the landlord that the assistance is necessary. The landlord is required to pay a percentage of the cost, although the fee can be waived if both the owner of the property and the tenant are income eligible for the program.

How Do You Apply

The process begins by contacting your local office. You may be asked to schedule an appointment. Allow at least 30 minutes to complete the application and discuss any questions you may have about the program. The first step is the application. To process the application you will need to provide the following information:

■ Income received for the past 12 months for all members over the

age of 18.

■ A 12-month electric bill history (how much your electric bill has been

in each of the past 12 months).

■ Proof of ownership of the home, and any benefits received (food

stamps, Medicaid, etc.)

Once your application has been approved, your name will be placed on a wait list. An auditor will contact you to schedule an appointment. Someone will need to remain in the home for the duration of the audit. The auditor will complete a thorough inspection of the home to see what measures need to be completed to make the home more energy efficient.

Process Begins With Auditor’s Assessment

 A Thorough Home Examination Reveals List Of Potential Concerns                      

             The actual process of weatherizing a home begins when the weatherization auditor performs a preliminary assessment of the home.

A typical assessment can take anywhere from 3-5 hours. Each client’s home is approached from a “whole house” perspective, which includes an examination of every aspect of the home and its occupants that pertain to energy usage and efficiency. The auditor first examines the overall condition of the home to identify potential concerns that could possibly affect the client’s immediate safety and well being. Structural problems, moisture related issues, carbon monoxide, and fire hazards are the most important factors for preliminary assessment.

Every area of the home is evaluated, paying particular attention to attics, walls, and crawl spaces to assess insulation levels, and any areas where expensive heated and cooled air is lost. Most homes have typical areas, due to age and type of construction, where drafts and uncomfortable areas may exist. Also, a home’s central heating and air system ductwork is tested to verify it is sealed adequately enough to maintain the level of efficiency designed for the specific HVAC system.

                 Baseload measures, such as interior lighting and refrigerators, can play a big part in total electric cost. Inefficient incandescent bulbs are replaced with 75 percent more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, and refrigerator electricity usage is also monitored during the audit to assess its monthly operating costs. The installation of low flow shower heads and faucet aerators can save a combined 1-2 gallons of water per minute of usage. Carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are also inspected and normally replaced based on age and working condition.

 

What A Couple Of

Our Clients Say . . .

 

“My thanks and prayers to each person (who worked) on this project. It means a lot to me.”     

                                                          

 ******************************                                                                   “When there was no where else to turn, God showed us the way to you. I can’t thank you enough.”

Crew technicians hard at work making a home more energy efficient.

After Audit Is Done,

RCS Crew Technicians

Tackle The Problems

The Goal Is To Make The Client’s

Home More Energy Efficient

                 The RCS crew technicians will be the final phase of Weatherization Assistance. The auditor will give the crews a detailed work order concentrating on the most pertinent measures that will save the most energy, ensure the highest level of client comfort, and facilitate the health and safety of those who occupy the home.

Crews will closely follow the work order to address all of the issues detailed on the audit. This will generally include things such as air sealing, insulating, placing vapor barriers in the crawl space, sealing ducts, and other measures that may be called for to air seal the home. The addition of insulation to improve a home’s thermal barrier, combined with sealing penetrations where air escapes, is employed using a calibrated fan called a blower door.

Technicians can measure how airtight a house is, and pinpoint areas where more or less air-sealing is needed. Blower door guided weatherization measures can alleviate comfort and energy efficiency issues that have been undiscovered in a client’s home for decades. Heating and air conditioning units are also cleaned and tuned by technicians to ensure the units are operating at the manufacturer’s peak efficiency rating.

Not everyone receives the same services by crew technicians. Work is done depending what is needed at a specific client’s home in order to make it more energy efficient.

   WEATHERIZATION OFFICE LOCATIONS

 

Back To Top

Randolph & Forsyth:     

Contact Amanda Lee

221 S. Fayetteville Street

P.O. Box 1883

Asheboro, NC 27204

336-629-5141

Thursdays call Tammy at the Adaptables at   336-767-7060

 

 

 

 

Guilford:

Contact  Sarah East/ Tammy Wilson

620 S. Elm Street Room 313

Greensboro, NC 27406

336-279-8184

Rockingham & Davidson:

Contact Sarah East/ Tammy Wilson

(Rockingham office)

1309-F Northup Street

Reidsville, NC 27320

336-342-0868

(Davidson office)

521-C Center Street

Lexington, NC 27292

336-249-2016