Mainers can be competitive about how long we wait to turn up the thermostat. It’s a point of pride for many. But with heating prices as high as they are right now, it’s a very real challenge as well.
When I talk to people in the community, the No. 1 concern I hear from folks is how much it’s going to cost them to keep their homes warm this winter. While high energy prices aren’t a problem that’s unique to Maine, our frigid winter weather certainly makes it a major problem. The good news is, there are programs available to help keep your heating bill down, whether that’s direct financial assistance or making your home more energy efficient.
For years, Efficiency Maine has helped people make energy improvements to their homes. They offer rebates for everything from solar panel installation to improving your home’s insulation. Right now, they’re also offering $100 rebates to homeowners and renters to cover DIY weatherization projects, including weather stripping, caulking, window insulation shrink kits and foam board insulation.
For folks who already do this every year, it’s money back in your pocket. If you’ve thought about taking on a project like this, now might be the best time to see just how much money it can save you. Go to Efficiency Maine’s website to learn more and claim your rebate. Efficiency Maine also offers an energy audit, for which you may qualify at no cost to help you find ways to make your home more efficient or find where your home is losing heat through gaps or poor insulation. You can find out more about these programs, and programs that help both homeowners and renters, at efficiencymaine.com.
I’ve been impressed for quite a while with the work of Window Dressers, a local organization that helps folks build window inserts for their homes, which help keep heating bills down. Their hardworking staff supplies and trains teams of volunteers while they build affordable insulating window inserts at local Community Builds. To learn more about ordering inserts, or to volunteer to build them and help your neighbors, go to windowdressers.org/ or reach out at info@windowdressers.org or (207) 596-3073.
If you or someone you know might need financial help covering heating bills this season, consider applying for the Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP. This is a federally funded program that’s administered at the local level. HEAP is available to both homeowners and renters and provides direct relief to help cover heating bills. You may still qualify even if heat is part of your rent price. While it likely won’t cover the full cost of a fuel delivery, it can definitely go a long way to help. Kennebec Valley Community Action Program is the agency that administers HEAP for Sagadahoc County. You can reach them at www.kvcap.org or by calling (207) 859-1500. If you qualify for HEAP, I also recommend asking about the Low-Income Assistance Program, or LIAP, which helps cover electricity bills. You can learn more about these programs, as well as other programs to help homeowners and renters in general, at MaineHousing’s website, mainehousing.org.
Beyond all of these programs, please remember to check in with your neighbors, especially those who are older or have a hard time getting around. One of the best things we can do for each other in tough times is keep in touch and offer help when it’s needed. Sharing a cup of coffee and warm thoughts can provide real comfort on a cold day. And as always, if you have any questions, concerns or ideas, please don’t hesitate to contact me at eloise.vitelli@legislature.maine.gov, or call my office at (207) 287-1515. I’m here to help however I can, and to listen.
Sen Eloise Vitelli, D-Woolwich, ios majority leader of the Maine Senate. She is a Democrat representing Senate District 23, which serves all of Sagadahoc County and the adjacent town of Dresden in Lincoln County.
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