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Biden administration moves to protect Alaska wilderness; opening statements and first witness in NY trial; SCOTUS hears Starbucks case, with implications for unions on the line; rural North Carolina town gets pathway to home ownership.

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The Supreme Court weighs cities ability to manage a growing homelessness crisis, anti-Israeli protests spread to college campuses nationwide, and more states consider legislation to ban firearms at voting sites and ballot drop boxes.

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Wyoming needs more educators who can teach kids trade skills, a proposal to open 40-thousand acres of an Ohio forest to fracking has environmental advocates alarmed and rural communities lure bicyclists with state-of-the-art bike trail systems.

Report: Energy Efficiency Can Be Increased with No Out-of-Pocket Costs

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Thursday, May 25, 2017   

MARSHALL, N.C. – As the mercury climbs, so will the energy bills for consumers across Tennessee.

Energy-efficiency measures can go a long way in reducing usage, but their cost often presents a roadblock for thousands of families.

Programs known in the industry as on-bill financing allow homeowners to pay for the cost of weatherization through their electric bill – essentially using the savings to pay off the cost and preventing out-of-pocket additional expense.

A new report from Appalachian Voices highlights the need and potential impact of such a payment system, according to Rory McIlmoil, the environmental group's energy savings program manager.

"They need some sort of solution that can meet the level of need, but can also be accessible for everybody,” he states. “There are federal weatherization grants, but those funding sources barely scratch the surface of meeting the need that's out there."

The report specifically looked at the impact for households that are members of the French Broad Electric Membership Corporation– a co-op that serves Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties in North Carolina as well as Unicoi and Cocke counties in Tennessee.

It estimates that if the co-op were to implement an on-bill system, participants could save $1,000 or more over a 10-year period.

North Carolinians who want to participate in such a program are encouraged to call their electric provider.

McIlmoil points out that while low-income households often are the last ones to be able to afford efficiency measures, they're often the most in need.

"They're more likely to live in homes that need energy-efficiency retrofits, whether new insulation, or an upgraded heating system,” he explains. “So they can't pay to improve those things that need to be improved in order to make their home more comfortable, more healthy and also reduce their energy bills."

The Appalachian Voices report estimates the energy efficiency work in the French Broad Electric Membership area alone could generate as many as 60 jobs.




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