July/August 2010 - GreenList Louisville

Project Warm -- Reducing Louisville’s Energy
Usage for Nearly 30 Years
By Alyson Goldberg
To date, Project Warm has saved Louisville
households over $25 Million in energy costs
and they are working hard to do even more.
Project Warm is a non-profit organization
that was founded in 1982 to provide free
weatherization services for low-income
households that could no longer afford
their high utility bills. The escalating energy
prices of the 1970s, approximately a 600%
increase in the cost of natural gas, created
a crisis for many fixed-income households
as well as the families of many workers
who were laid off from industries that
were shutting down or down-sizing their
workforces. The cost of energy continues
to weigh heavily on our community today.
Action’s LIHEAP Crisis Program, which
provides utility assistance to lowincome
residents who have received a
disconnection notice from their utility
service provider or a past due bill with a
disconnection notice, or who have received
an eviction notice from their landlord if
utilities are included in their rent, or who
are currently without utility services.
“In the past many Louisville homes were
built without concern for energy efficiency,”
said Project Warm Executive Director
Frank Schwartz. “Windows are single
paned, there are gaps around doors and
windows, and many other energy wasting
problems. These basic construction issues
create an unnecessary cost burden on all
of us, especially for those on low-income.”
According to the U.S. Department of
Energy, drafts can waste 5% to 30% of your
energy use.
In 2005, AARP completed the study,
“Affects of Energy Costs on US Adults,”
which included the following two results:
•Sixteen percent of respondents have
delayed payment of bills as a result of
increased energy costs, with significantly
more adults 18-49 delaying payments
(21%) compared to adults 50+ (9%).
•Some Americans are also limiting or doing
without food (15%), telecommunications
(15%), medical services (11%), or
prescription drugs (11%) because of higher
energy costs.
In response to statistics such as these, the
Federal Government has set up programs
such as the Louisville Metro Community
“If all we do is try to pay off a bill once
utilities are ready to shut off service, than
we are actually providing a disservice to
our community,” said Schwartz. “However,
if instead we focus on changing the amount
of energy used, thereby reducing the bill
to an affordable amount, we empower
people to care for themselves, reduce our
governments expenditures, and work to
improve our environment. Our objectives
are a win for everyone.”
With a modest budget, and a staff of 2
fulltime and 2 part time people, Project
Warm trains and organizes hundreds of
volunteers to weatherize the homes of
poor and elderly in our community. The
2,000 homes we serve each year save an
average of $382 in energy costs.
•That means more families stay in their
homes.
11