Low-income residents given energy-efficient home upgrades

BARSTOW • More than 100 Barstow-area residents will be using less energy after receiving new appliances and other upgrades to their homes funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

In an effort that wrapped up Tuesday, new and more energy efficient refrigerators, evaporative coolers, furnaces and shower heads were installed in area homes of residents who met low-income requirements. Water heaters and pipes were wrapped with insulating material and old appliances were hauled away for recycling.

The effort was coordinated by the Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County and the Housing Authority of San Bernardino County.  

John Newcomb, weatherization director for CAPSBC, said that the recent energy efficiency work performed on 103 homes in the Barstow area cost $212,000 and was funded entirely by stimulus dollars. The work was performed by CAPSBC’s in-house staff and materials were purchased through a bid process. No materials were purchased from local firms.

Newcomb said a house receiving energy-efficient improvements can reduce utility bills for the owner by 20 to 25 percent, with the age of a house playing a large role in how much energy can be saved.  Each home was evaluated on a case-by-case basis to see what new appliances or repair work would be performed.

“We evaluate each home with a pre-inspection and see what (the homeowner) needs, we do tests,” said Newcomb. “Afterwards we do a post-inspection to make sure the work was done right.”

CAPSBC coordinates energy-efficiency work yearly with funds from local utilities. A 1964 act signed into law requires local utilities to spend a portion of stockholder earnings on energy-efficiency programs. The stimulus money allowed more work to be done in Barstow this year than any previous year.

CAPSBC has additional similar efforts in the works for the cities of San Bernardino, Redlands, Colton, and Chino.

Anyone seeking information on assistance with energy-efficiency work on their home can call CAPSBC at 909-723-1620.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4126 or adome@desertdispatch.com