64 CASE STUDY Rutland

64 CASE STUDY Rutland county, Vermont METHOD NeighborWorks of Western Vermont (NWWVT) enlisted well-respected local citizens and organization to spread the word about home energy efficiency upgrade opportunities. • Created “Home Efficiency Assistance Team” or the H.E.A.T. Squad to work with local organizations to conduct phone-a-thons, direct outreach, and personalized home visits to develop public interest in energy efficiency. • Local hotline to educate homeowners about energy efficiency and to sign them up for an evaluation. • Staff provide “energy concierge” services to help homeowner through every step of the process, including managing the contractor, interpreting evaluation results, and arranging for financing and rebates. Source: Merrian Fuller et. al., “Driving Demand for Home Energy Improvements”

Other Elements 65 CASE STUDY Rutland county, Vermont NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR OUTREACH • Neighbor to neighbor phone-athons • Influential community members as spokespeople • Marketing scripts geared towards target audiences • Incentives: up to $2,500 in rebates after evaluation and installations; $75 upfront home energy check-up; low-cost financing • Newspaper column • User-friendly website • Local phone hotline RESULTS (within 6 months) • 386 evaluations conducted • 196 residential energy upgrades completed • 51% conversation rate from evaluation to upgrade DRIVING DEMAND: Low-cost evaluations WORKFORCE: Expanding local contractor base FINANCING: Low-interest, unsecured loans for up to 10 years