Posted on 09/24/2011 8:05:18 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
For about a year, Dauhn Minus has been struggling to pay her utilities bill, which, at times, she said runs well over $300.
"That's a lot of money for an electric bill," said the 52-year-old West Palm Beach resident.
The main reason their bill is so high is because the air conditioning unit is 15 years old and working overtime to cool their two-bedroom home. But it can't do the job properly since Minus' home wasn't energy efficient.
"I would have my AC on at 70 degrees, but it was reading 85 degrees in my house," Minus said. "I was burning up."
Minus was a perfect candidate for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Minus said she heard about the program from her sister and applied immediately. She said she got a response in about a week.
"I applied in July and within two weeks they were here assessing what I needed," Minus said. "They didn't waste any time."
Minus said she received solar panels on 14 of her 21 windows as well as energy efficient water faucets, attic insulation and a brand new air conditioning unit.
"I can stand in the middle of the room and feel the AC now," Minus said.
(Excerpt) Read more at palmbeachpost.com ...
Amazing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I wonder if HSLDA would decide to get involved...
Yes indeed. I've seen that happen every place I've lived. One partiicularly blatent example was Snohomish County, WA back in the 1980s. The utility company built a nuclear plant without public hearings (as I understand it). The people sued and actually won their case. The judgement was that the never opened plant be torn down and every household in the county was eligible for up to $4000 in funds to be used for approved weatherization projects. We moved there at about that time, and we hired a contractor to superinsulate our house. We already had double paned windows and had installed a fireplace insert and a free standing wood stove in our kitchen. We extra insulated the crawl space and the attic. Now we found that we could heat the 4000 sq. ft house with the free standing wood stove just by leaving doors open so that the heat would flow. When temps dropped below freezing, we lit an additional fire in the fireplace insert. Worked like a charm.
Everybody was doing this and suddenly the utility was screaming that they were not selling enough electricity and they needed a rate increase. (Almost everybody had electric heat out there.) Just after we moved, the EPA came in and they imposed county wide regulations that prohibit wood burning for most people for much of the year.
I wonder when the last time she changed the HVAC filter, or the A coil was cleaned, or the condenser was washed out. I probably know the answer(15 yrs ago) s.
We had a weatherization program many yeas ago- no fancy AC or roofing, but tightening up windows, adding insulation, weather stripping, things like that. I remember it being for the low income elderly.
Our state spent an untold amount of money on weatherization of the “projects” throughout the state. AC, central heat, etc. If it is hot, you go by any one of these projects and the windows are open (to let out the crack and marijuana smoke). During a blizzard you drive by these projects and the windows are all open (to let out the crack and marijuana smoke). We pay the electric bills.
I read that Seattle spent $20 million and weatherized 14 houses.
It’s a slush fund.
It’s a political slush fund.
What is the ROI on each improvement made? Real dollars. Phantom returns?
Minus was a perfect candidate for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Paid for by....
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER.
Reread the consitution, looking for the place it authorizes the government to stick its hand in my pocket so this character can have smaller bills. Could’t find it.
The question, then is: does anyone in government these days read the constitution?
Good observation!! There’re several scams afoot with this article and the the complainant’s info...
1. How did it happen that a 1000 sq ft house have 21 effing windows? Most would have 9 or 10!
2. Running commercial ovens in a small house and whining about the heat?
3. Betcha no bidness license in a residential neighborhood!
4. Under the table income not reported?
(I could go on and on, but you get the idea....)
JC
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