The City of Fort Pierce, in partnership with the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA), will provide free home energy makeovers for qualifying families in Fort Pierce through the Weatherization Education Outreach Program. FPUA estimates that these families may save as much as 10 percent a year by maintaining the upgrades from the free energy makeover and practicing water conservation. For these families, the savings may equate to about a month of energy usage saved.
“By partnering with FPUA in this worthwhile endeavor, we have the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives in a very concrete way…saving them money and making their homes more affordable and comfortable, as well,” explained Linda Hudson, Mayor of the City of Fort Pierce.
“Our goal is to make a difference in our customers’ lives, and one way we can do that is by helping them improve their home’s energy efficiency to save money year-round,” said Clayton Lindstrom, Director of Utilities for FPUA. “We can all learn to be more energy efficient, and through this initiative, we can reach out and help those who need it most.”
Examples of free energy-efficient upgrades available include:
· Installation of weather stripping
· Replacement of air conditioning filters
· Maintenance of existing air conditioner and duct work
· Installation of programmable thermostat
· Changing incandescent light bulbs to energy-saving LED light bulbs
· Installation of low-flow shower heads to reduce water flow
· Replacement of exterior doors
· Replacement of water heater
· Installation of water heater timer
· Installation of attic insulation
· Replacement of broken window panes
While today’s home energy makeover is aimed at low-income customers, all FPUA customers can start to save energy today. FPUA says customers can conduct their own home energy makeover by visiting www.fpua.com and implementing suggested energy efficiency upgrades. Many of the upgrades are quite simple to do such as controlling thermostat settings, turning off fans before leaving a room or limiting the time a pool pump runs. The upgrades just take a couple of hours to complete.
Citizens wishing to complete an application for free Weatherization assistance are encouraged to access the application from the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority website at http://www.fpua.com/Files/Home/SaveEnergyAndWater/WEOP_Application.pdf, or contact the City of Fort Pierce Department of Urban Redevelopment at 772-467-3183 to have an application emailed or mailed to you.