A great thing going that maybe some don't know about

16 years ago

My older neighbor called me about a phone call she got today, and asked me to check it out.

A company called her about coming to check her duct work and energy efficiency in her home. If any work was needed, it was covered by the local electric company up to 100%. \

I smelled a scam.

So not only did I call the company from her caller ID info for her and check them out, I called the Electric company here to confirm if they were legit.

I am here to tell you that this is 100% the real deal. I was shocked to say the least. They will cover the expense up to 100%, and it is done on a sliding scale of your income.

For her, this is a great deal, she is a senior citizen, and has sadly had to file bankruptcy this year.

I will go over to her house in the morning, just so she is not alone when they are there, and talk to them some more.

I was quite suprised that this is an on going thing here.

It would be worth the time to make that phone call to you energy provider to see what they have to offer.

Trin

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

carol_in_california
16 years ago
In order to qualify for the energy savings for free, here in California a person has to qualify for the program. It is generally for people who have low incomes.
It is a great program!
junkyardgirl
16 years ago
Yeah, I had called my electric company about their insulation program. If you qualify (financially) they will come and completely weatherize your home and add insulation to the ceiling for free.

I got a totally free air conditioning system through our county. If I stay in the house for 10 years, it's free. They knock off 10% of the cost per year, and if you sell, you pay the remainder.

I got a free 80 gallon hot water heater from my electric company in SC. It was an energy efficient one. You had to use their contractors, and they gave you a $450 rebate. It only cost me $400 to get it done, so I actually made money on that deal.

My neighbor got her roof done for free through a state program that helps elderly people stay in their homes.

I wish I could find a program that would fix my stucco, but they consider that cosmetic.
Related Discussions
Don't Know If I'm In the Right Place - Maybe Mulch Forum?
Q
Comments (20)
I have a Toro leaf blower/vacuum. Shreds nicely for dry brown leaves, but freshly fallen autums leaves or wet leaves do not shred as well, they mainly get vacuumed up and partially broken. My pinecones are about 1.5 inches (daughter calls them the "baby cones") and we get plenty. I rake them out of my garden beds and lawn into a pile on the lawn. Then I use the leaf vacuum and suck them up. They chop up into a fine reddish brown mulch. Even applied in spring, these shredded cones have not led to any pine tree sprouts. The mulch smells nice if you like the smell of pine. WARNING - very dusty job. The bag that collects the shredded material will send out dust from the shredded pine cones, more than the dust from leaves. If there is a medium wind, I do it standing upwind of the bag so that the dust blows away from me. The earthworms LOVE the beds I have applied the pinecone mulch.
...See More
I Don't Know What I Don't Know About Mini Fridges
Q
Comments (9)
Hi Plllog! "That is, I know it's possible, but might not be in your budget." See, there's the crux of it. This little beverage center idea of mine was not in the original budget. (Nor, alas, were new drywall in the livingroom and halls, the gorgeous walnut top on my used cabinet island, the matching gorgeous top that will soon be on the new media cabinet and the near full gut of the bathroom.) And we're still determined to get through remodeling our ugly duckling without taking out a loan or dipping into savings. Conventional wisdom says: Wait until the coffers are full again but that's so hard to do. First off, I'm a cheapskate. Even if the goose who laid the golden egg waddled up onto my deck and built a nest, I'm not sure I would willingly pay someone to mess up the walls I just paid to fix. Second, I'm not quite cheap enough. My new kitchen is starting to look pretty good but, gosh, it would look so much better if the microwave and coffee maker didn't take up so much room on that one counter. I'm willing to spend a little bit more to change that, especially since I'm going to have a piece of countertop leftover that should be just the right size. Still, it's nice to know that it's possible. Maybe when the coffers ARE full again I'll put a tile counter outside on my deck to shade the golden goose should she happen to wander by ;) Thanks for your help!
...See More
I'm BAAAACCCKKK....and I don't know a thing!
Q
Comments (40)
If I have another stress test, I will have to leave strict instruction NOT to leave a message at home (they should have called my cell phone, they HAD the number). I had a stress test. The nurses told me it would be about a week before I heard, unless there was a problem. That night, after work, after 5pm when the doc's offices close, there was a message on my phone that I was to see the Dr. the next morning at 8:30. Well, needless to say, I didn't sleep very well. Scared to death! Got in there, my BP was outrageous, of course... Turns out the DOC was going on VACATION and just wanted to close out his cases... My heart was fine. Talk about GIVING someone a heart attack! I told the front desk NEVER to leave someone a message like that after they've had a stress test or at least TELL the patient the doc is going on vacation and wants to close out his cases! Jeepers! An experience I will never EVER forget!
...See More
Some things women face every day that men just don't
Q
Comments (56)
Faron - I start my Stihl on the floor by sliding my foot through the handle to help keep it steady. However I'm unable to start our generator - the pull cord is too high up and I can't get enough torque - I'd need a stepladder. My profession was dominated by women and I can readily say that I never faced discrimination at work. Of course like most women I've encountered my share of men making crude comments and insinuations and as a young woman was never taken seriously when I took my car in for repair. And there were a few alarming situations where I seriously worried about my safety. When DD was growing up I tried to set an example for her, I felt it was important for her to see me as a capable woman. I wanted her to be strong and independent . When she graduated from college we went to buy her first car. I had already locked in the price online and brought a copy of the sales agreement. However the salesman kept saying that certain items were omitted and he wanted to re-write the agreement and came back with a higher price. I walked out of the dealership. DD was crushed because she thought she wasn't going to get her car. The salesman came running after us and we did get the car - at the original price. It's a story she vividly remembers. However she is now working in a male dominated job and is facing discrimination, ridicule and even career sabotage. There is no HR department, she has to take these issues to her boss - who frequently says that she's whining and then later approaches her when she's alone and rubs her back and says he's sorry. The only other females at her work place are doing clerical or administrative work and are off premises. She's the only woman working on the job with 6 to 8 men. It has become a toxic work environment and she has consulted with an attorney as to how to proceed. I'm proud of her for taking the initiative to get legal advice but she's so disillusioned and stressed that she's also looking for another job.
...See More
petaloid
16 years ago
Thanks for bringing this up -- good topic!

As Carol said, qualifying low-income California families can benefit from energy saving rebates.

In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power (DWP) will replace energy wasting refrigerators with equivalent energy conserving ones for low-income folks.

They will give anyone, regardless of income, up to $100 combined rebate for buying an energy saving fridge and letting DWP pick up the old one for recycling. They give a $250 rebate for purchasing an energy conserving washer.

It's well worth investigating what your state or power company may offer in this regard.
noocha
16 years ago
That sounds like a great program!
But how does it get paid for? I mean, for the work that needs doing & the insulation & duct work supplies? That costs money any way you look at it so where is the money coming from that the homeowner isn't having to pay?
lindasewandsew
16 years ago
The money comes from 'rate payers', aka, you. The beauty of it is that most people don't even know the money is being taken from them. It's certainly not free, and the public utilities are not giving anyone a gift out of the goodness of their hearts. You can collect a couple of hundred bucks toward a new appliance, even if the old one is still working fine, and they'll take away the old one for you. (Doesn't it take a lot of energy to manufacture these goods, then transport them to your door?) One of the utilities here in SoCal is also replacing old windows in houses, and who knows what else. Here's a link to Southern California Gas' program, to 'help' you save energy. Keep in mind that here in So Cal, we have to wear a sweater on really cold days, lol.
http://www.socalgas.com/residential/savemoney/
Below is a link to LA DWP with their programs. BTW, the DWP has a lactation specialist on the payroll to the tune of $50K a year, in order to teach women how to breast feed their baby, and they openly defend it as a way to save money. Here's the link. Sorry, you'll have to cut/paste.
http://www.breastfeedingtaskforla.org/media/gazette/may-04.htm
Makes you yearn for a little competition. Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Some 'Freebies' from Los Angeles DWP
grittymitts
16 years ago
Wow! Trin, who is your electric company? AEP Southwestern Electric serves our area & I know several folks that would benefit greatly from such a program. Is it strictly for low income? I don't even know what how one qualifies as low-income.

Thanks for posting this!
Suzi

A great thing going that maybe some don't know about

Comments (6)

carol_in_california

junkyardgirl

Related Discussions

petaloid

noocha

lindasewandsew

grittymitts

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US