LePage Urges Efficiency Maine Trust to Focus on Affordable Heating Options
Draft State Program Guidelines Released for Public Comment
AUGUSTA – This week, the state is finally moving forward with a plan to assist Mainers to reduce their home heating costs. Governor LePage believes the program, still in draft form, should focus on “helping as many Mainers transition to affordable heating systems and help them lower their monthly heating bills. Offering affordable heat should be the priority.”
Early this year, the LePage Administration proposed using state funds available through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to help Mainers invest in a variety of affordable heating options, such as heat pumps, natural gas and wood pellet systems, highly efficient propane and oil burners, and verifiable building efficiency measures, such as air sealing and insulation. This proposal, outlined in LD 1425, was partially incorporated into the omnibus energy bill (LD 1559), recently passed by the Legislature.
“For decades, many Maine families have struggled to pay their home heating bills, which are among the highest in the country,” states Energy Office Director Patrick Woodcock. “Now, for the first time, the state is beginning to address this huge challenge, by providing Maine families financial support to change to more affordable heating systems and install efficiency measures in their homes.”
Providing this support has the potential to significantly reduce the cost of staying warm for many households. Director Woodcock cites the success of the Administration’s heat pump pilot project as one of these new, lower cost heating technologies. “The initial results of the heat pump pilot program, operated by Bangor Hydro Electric in coordination with Efficiency Maine Trust, have been extremely promising. Homeowners could save upwards of 40% on their heating bills by installing these mini split heat pumps. That is an exciting prospect.”
Heat pumps have been installed in the Blaine House, and, according to the Governor, “the comfort and affordability of the energy is potentially transformative. At the very least, a portion of the funding should be used to continue the pilot program. Our heating situation is too desperate to devote finite funds to systems that take a decade to make sense for Mainers.”
The proposed heating incentive program would provide rebates to consumers for installing heating system upgrades and building efficiency measures. The program will also make low interest loans available to install more expensive measures, loans that many more Maine families can qualify for than could with conventional loans. Providing more assistance for low income Mainers is also a priority for Governor LePage, and he urges Efficiency Maine Trust to devote more funds for heating system upgrades in low income households than is currently proposed. The Governor outlined all his recommendations in a letter to the Efficiency Maine Trust Board of Directors (see below).
Efficiency Maine Trust, administrator of the RGGI funds, has released the draft proposal for public comment. Suggestions on how to improve the program are welcome, and are due by Friday, August 16th. The draft is available from Efficiency Maine Trust at 1-866-376-2463.