Human Services
Weatherization Pilot Program for Arlington County Seniors
Free Weatherization Program Warms Homes, Saves Money
It’s an overcast 40° F outside, but step into sunroom of John O’Neill’s North Arlington home, and the first thing you notice is how warm it is — not what you’d expect in the middle of winter for a room enclosed by glass on three sides.
O’Neill and companion Sheila Lawrence spend much of their time in this room. Today, Sheila is catching up on e-mail and surfing the Internet for Valentine’s Day gifts while John checks the TV listings and points out the hawk that has just landed on the fence, looking perhaps for a mid-morning snack.
John and Sheila have been together for about seven years now, after marriages (50 years for him, 38 for her), raising families (13 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren between them), retiring (John was a regional sales manager with Frito-Lay North America, Inc.) and helping each other through the loss of a spouse.
Their toasty-warm home is the result of the Weatherization Pilot Program for Arlington County Seniors, a free service that makes area homes more comfortable year-round, improves energy efficiency and reduces fuel bills. Encouraging residents to consider energy efficiency is a key element of Arlington’s climate change program Fresh AIRE – Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions . Using energy efficiently means our resources are being used wisely, without sacrifice for comfort and affordability. And reducing energy use has a direct impact on fighting climate change.
“It sounds too good to be true,” said John, who has lived in the home since purchasing it new in 1941 for $5,200. “You keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never does. I can honestly say that this is the greatest thing Arlington County has ever done for me.”
Income Guidelines* Family Maximum Income Level 1 $31,600 Non-senior households may also receive assistance. Contact CHP for for more information. |
John estimates that his home is 30% warmer and that he saves about 30% off his heating bill as a result of the free weatherization services he received. Among the improvements: installation of 12 inches of insulation and a thermal barrier tent in the attic, weather stripping of doors and windows, an insulating jacket for the water heater and installation of energy efficient light bulbs, smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector. “They even replaced a water pipe in the basement that was leaking,” said John. And it was all free.
“It’s amazing,” said John. “They do it all. A professional crew comes in, does the work and cleans up afterwards. I would recommend that anyone who qualifies for this program take advantage. I was skeptical at first — if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. But this was very rewarding and I’m very pleased.”
The program is for Arlington seniors age 60 and older living in single-family homes and town homes. Income levels were raised last year — thanks to additional funding provided by Virginia Dominion Power — so more people are eligible now than at any time during the 20+ years the program has been available.
How Does It Work?
Virginia Dominion Power “Paying your home heating bill is sometimes very difficult, and if you can’t pay the bill it makes for a very difficult winter,” said Le-Ha Anderson, Virginia Dominion Power’s manager for media and community relations. “Dominion’s EnergyShare Fuel Assistance Program has been in place for a number of years, but we were seeing the same people year after year, and wanted to find a way to make a bigger, more long-term impact. We saw joining the Weatherization Program as a great way for us to help seniors get to the root of the problem by weatherproof their homes. Now, money spent to heat and cool their homes stays in their homes.” Dominion has contributed $75,000 to the Weatherization Program in Arlington over the past two years. As a result, income levels for eligibility have been raised substantially and more households are eligible today than at any time in the program’s history. |
It starts with a phone call to Connie England, weatherization coordinator for Community Housing Partners (CHP). She’ll come to your home, help you fill out a brief application and arrange for a certified, specially trained crew to:
- Perform diagnostic tests to evaluate areas of heat loss.
- Inspect, replace or repair, and install as needed attic and wall insulation, caulking around windows and door weather stripping.
- Perform indoor air quality checks and install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
- Inspect heating equipment and insulate hot water heaters and pipes.
The program is administered by the Energy Services Division of Community Housing Partners (CHP) and operates in partnership with the Arlington County Agency on Aging, Arlingtonians Meeting Emergency Needs (AMEN) and Dominion Virginia Power. Funding comes courtesy of the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Virginia Dept. of Housing and Community Development and Dominion Virginia Power.
For more information, contact Connie England of CHP at 540-636-8079 or cje@lynxconnect.com.
“If anyone is still skeptical, they can talk to me,” offered John. Look for him and Sheila out and about — they dine out frequently, celebrate birthdays with a close group of half a dozen friends, and are actively involved with the Edward Douglass White Knights of Columbus Council (John is Past President and Grand Knight, and bartends twice a week at the Council’s “bar with no name.”
