Damascus Woman Wins $50K Energy Efficiency Home Makeover

LITTLE ROCK, AR (News release) Petit Jean Electric Cooperative member Connie Jefferies of Damascus has won the seventh annual contest sponsored by the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.

According to Bret Curry, manager of residential energy marketing for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, this years makeover contest was designed for members who reside in manufactured homes.

Manufactured homes comprise 15 percent of Arkansas housing stock, have some of the highest electric bills and are very uncomfortable during hot and cold weather extremes, Curry said. The makeover project serves as a teaching resource for all Arkansans.

As the makeover winner, Jefferies 1999 singlewide home will receive up to $50,000 in energy efficiency improvements. During a recent energy audit, electric cooperative energy efficiency experts pinpointed reasons for the high electric consumption in the 840 sq. ft. dwelling. Jeffries had an uncomfortable home and $300 electric bills last winter, he said.

Our diagnostic testing revealed that 50 percent of the air volume within the home was leaking to the outside, Curry said. We also discovered substandard and improperly installed insulation, inefficient windows, no moisture barrier, an inefficient heating and cooling system and non-Energy Star appliances.

A properly built dwelling of this small size should average total monthly electric bills of $100 or less, Curry said. The good news is our makeover project is a wonderful medium for teaching Arkansans how they can resolve their energy problems, improve the comfort of their homes and lower their utility costs.

The makeover team will begin work immediately and work to finish in three to four weeks. Jefferies will receive an ultra-efficient Water Furnace geothermal heat pump installed by Rood Heating & Cooling. WeatherBarr Windows will provide high-efficiency windows. Rheem Marathon will provide the energy efficient water heater. Roof King will provide a high efficiency overlay comprised of foam, radiant barrier and metal roofing. General Electric will furnish Energy Star appliances. SealantTech and Summit Builders will install closed cell foam to the underside and encapsulate the ductwork. The makeover team will install a high-density moisture barrier.

Cooperative members submitted more than 1,500 applications in this years contest. In addition to the grand-prize winner, 16 runners-up will receive a 40-gallon Rheem Marathon energy efficient water heater.

Winners of the 40-gallon Marathon water heaters are:

The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 500,000 homes, farms and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.

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Damascus Woman Wins $50K Energy Efficiency Home Makeover