Health & Fitness
Columbia Association Announces Program to Help Residents Reduce Energy Consumption, Save Money
Columbia Association (CA) has partnered with Retrofit Baltimore, a program of the nonprofit Civic Works, to implement a Columbia Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade Cooperative.
CA and Retrofit Baltimore will engage the community and guide Columbia residents through each step of the home energy improvement process, working with vetted and approved contractors to effectively reduce utility bills, save energy and protect the climate. This initiative leverages the Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program for incentives and other technical resources.
“Columbia Association is excited to support our community on this critical issue,” said CA President Phil Nelson. “Through this program, we will further advance the sustainability of our community by improving the energy efficiency of Columbia homes.”
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Key benefits of the Columbia Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade Cooperative include:
Homes that are more comfortable and affordable to own;
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Guidance from a dedicated Energy Advocate;
Access to screened and vetted energy services contractors;
Access to an exclusive discount on installed measures for Columbia residents;
Rebates from BGE that cover up to 50 percent of the upgrades, up to $2,000;
Information gained from a detailed energy audit that also addresses indoor air quality and equipment performance;
Participation in an ENERGY STAR Program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The first of these meetings was held in the village of Harper’s Choice on Feb. 20; the meeting was well-attended, with a majority of participants electing to have a Home Performance Energy Audit of their home.
Over the coming year, CA and Retrofit Baltimore will be holding community energy meetings in other villages throughout Columbia. Columbia residents are being provided an opportunity to learn about energy efficiency and cost-effective steps to make their home more livable and environmentally friendly.
Civic Works is Baltimore's service corps, with the mission of strengthening Baltimore area communities through education, skills development and community service. Their Retrofit Baltimore program helps homeowners realize the benefits of home energy efficiency. While energy efficiency upgrades can dramatically improve the comfort, health and affordability of homes, a lack of trusted information can prevent people from taking advantage of the opportunity. Retrofit Baltimore fills this gap by partnering with communities to provide residents with step-by-step guidance, information on vetted contractors, cooperative purchasing discounts and consumer advocacy services. Retrofit Baltimore has helped more than 400 Maryland homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. Over the past 20 years, American families and businesses have saved a total of nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.
For more information about the ENERGY STAR program for existing homes, go to HomePerformanceWithEnergyStar.gov. For more information about BGE’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program, please visit BGESmartEnergy.com. More information about CA is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org.
