Weatherization Day Event Oct. 30 in Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS, AR (News release) - The Arkansas Energy Office, a division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, will host a Weatherization Day event on Thursday, October 30, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hot Springs Farmers Market, 121 Orange Street, to showcase the benefits of the Arkansas Weatherization Program.

The event is free and open to the public. The Arkansas Weatherization Program utilizes advanced diagnostic technology, including a computerized energy audit, to determine the energy-efficiency needs of a house or mobile home, investing up to $6,902 to weather strip or replace doors and windows; caulk and seal cracks and holes; insulate walls, ceilings and attics; repair or replace heating and cooling systems; vent space heaters; retrofit furnaces; replace energy-inefficient refrigerators and electric water heaters; install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and low-flow shower heads; and make other improvements to reduce air filtration.

Arkansass Weatherization Assistance Program is a great tool for individuals and families looking for cost-effective and manageable ways to make their homes more comfortable in extreme weather conditions, said J.D. Lowery, director of the Arkansas Energy Office. I encourage everyone interested in keeping warm this winter to come out and learn more about the Weatherization program along with basic tips anyone can implement to save money and conserve energy.

The Weatherization Assistance Program, established by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1976, is the nation's largest residential energy efficiency program. Its mission is to reduce energy costs for low income families, particularly for the elderly, people with disabilities and children by improving the energy efficiency of their homes while ensuring health and safety.

Since the inception of the program, more than $165 million has gone toward making 78,000 Arkansas homes more energy efficient, safe and healthy.

A study done by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock showed that more than 3,800 recipients in the past three years reduced their use of electricity an average of 1,562 kilowatt hours and of natural gas 106,000 cubic feet, generating a combined annual savings of more than $2.4 million.

The program is free for those who meet the following annual income guidelines:

Weatherization Day, celebrated in Arkansas since 2000, is part of the Weatherization Assistance Program conference, being held October 27-30 at Clarion on the Lake in Hot Springs. The conference targets agencies involved in residential energy efficiency. The emphasis is on quality performance. Four speakers - Rick Karg, Robert Scott, Rhett Eldridge and Bill Eckman - have been brought in to provide key information on new weatherization technologies.

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Weatherization Day Event Oct. 30 in Hot Springs