MONTGOMERY – Winter officially arrives in a few days but the cold weather has already arrived.
And, to that end, thousands of Alabamians struggle to pay their energy bills and keep warm.
But, help is the way through the Alabama Weatherization Assistance Program.
Gov. Kay Ivey announced Wednesday she has awarded more than $3.8 million to help low-income residents reduce their home energy bills.
The 13 grants awarded to community action agencies throughout Alabama, including four North Alabama agencies, provide funds for the program which improves the energy efficiency and safety of homes selected for assistance. Priority is given to people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income households with children.
The four North Alabama agencies are Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc., Community Action Partnership Huntsville/Madison and Limestone Counties Inc., Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc., and Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. They were awarded more than $1.56 million.
“Low-income families often have to choose between keeping their homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer over providing other basic necessities like food and medicine,” Ivey said. “These grants will help low-income households make beneficial upgrades that can significantly reduce their heating and cooling bills.”
Each qualifying home receives an energy audit to determine the most effective and efficient weatherization methods such as adding attic insulation or sealing air leaks around windows and doors.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Weatherization upgrades can make a significant difference in making a home comfortable and in preserving energy,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA is pleased to join Gov. Ivey in supporting these grants, which will help many Alabama families reap the benefits of lower energy bills.”
People interested in the program should contact the community action agency in their area to determine if they qualify and to submit applications. Please note that the funding allocations announced today may not be immediately available for application at the local level. The application periods are established locally by each community agency.
Below is a list of each grant, the recipient agency, North Alabama counties served, the agency telephone number and, where available, the agency website:
- $144,110 to Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. (Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale) www.caanw.org 256-383-3832
- $255,982 to Community Action Partnership Huntsville/Madison and Limestone Counties Inc. (Limestone and Madison counties) www.caa-htsval.org 256-851-9800
- $265,916 to Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. www.capna.org (Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Walker and Winston counties) 256-355-7843
- $898,366 to Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. (Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall and St. Clair counties) www.caaneal.org 256-638-4430
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