TULALIP — Seven years of cold have ended for Annette Winterton-Garrison and her three children, thanks to help from Snohomish County’s energy assistance and weatherization programs.
"It’s getting close to winter and I find that I feel a bit warm in my house some days, and that’s not a complaint," Winterton-Garrison said.
By comparison, last winter brought drafts and water through gaps around the mobile home’s single-pane windows, daily battles to keep just the main living space warm, and high electricity bills.
Winterton-Garrison applied to Snohomish County’s energy assistance program for help. It offers households that meet income guidelines one-time financial grants to pay heating bills.
To qualify, a household must be at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level. For example, a single person couldn’t earn more than $935 a month, while a family of four couldn’t earn more than $1,917 a month. Grants range from $25 to $750 per household.
Snohomish County Human Services weatherization supervisor Bill Beuscher said the program has served an increasing number of households in recent years, and the trend seems to be continuing.
"There have been so many people requesting help already this year, that we’ve opened our doors early," Beuscher said. "We’re seeing people now who already are shut off or who are in imminent danger of being shut off."
The program usually operates from mid-November through the end of March.
In the 2002-03 heating season alone, it provided more than $1.5 million to 4,082 households. Beuscher said that means only about two out of 10 eligible households received help.
And the numbers of those in need are rising, he added, noting the Snohomish County PUD has reported a growing number of disconnections due to nonpayment, and Volunteers of America has fielded more calls for help.
Beuscher said many families struggling to pay their heating bills don’t realize that they may qualify for help.
Winterton-Garrison was among that group, and only found the program after an acquaintance received a grant and suggested that she apply. She got help to pay her electricity bills, then was connected to the county’s weatherization program for long-term solutions.
The weatherization program evaluates clients’ energy use and helps pay for necessary improvements. It expanded its income eligibility guidelines this fall to include more people. A single person now can earn up to a $1,628 month, while family of four can earn up to a $3,504 month.
"Some previous program participants report saving as much as 30 percent on their utility bills," Beuscher said.
Beuscher and Dale Hoffmeyer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Residential program manager, said people can take many steps to weatherize their homes. Finding and closing gaps in a dwelling’s construction is an important first step.
"A lot of hidden cracks and gaps in house can add up to as much airflow as a fully open window, and that can make your heating and cooling system work harder and less efficiently," Hoffmeyer said.
The EPA recommends starting in the attic, where sealing can make the biggest difference. Other easy but important steps include stopping leaks in heating ducts, adding weather stripping to doors and windows, using a programmable thermostat to keep the house cooler when no one’s home, and regularly cleaning or replacing furnace filters, Hoffmeyer added.
Beuscher agreed and said he thinks most people don’t realize what a difference little things can make in how much energy they use. David Ott, a county weatherization program planner, added that "most weatherization can be done by a moderately skilled do-it-yourselfer."
Before applying for help, Winterton-Garrison already had taken the simple step of covering her windows with plastic outside and blankets inside. But wide gaps around the windows and doors let more heat escape than the covers could keep in.
She said she would let the bedrooms stay cool, set her thermostat high and supplement with sometimes unsafe heat sources just to keep the main living space tolerably warm for a few hours each night. On the coldest days, she heated her oven, vented her dryer into the house, burned a fire in the fireplace and used a propane heater.
After conducting an energy audit of Winterton-Garrison’s home this summer, the county weatherization staff applied for funding to buy properly sized, energy-efficient windows, caulk and seal gaps in the home’s construction, add and repair insulation, and fix and clean the furnace. The program also paid to reconfigure the fireplace venting and install a carbon monoxide detector and outdoor rodent barrier.
The improvements totaled more than $10,000, according to an the itemized statement an overwhelmed Winterton-Garrison received.
"Without these guys and what they’ve done, I couldn’t afford to pay the PUD and keep my kids warm, no matter how hard I worked," Winterton-Garrison said. "Now we get to have a winter with no drafts and no rodents and no steamy windows. I can’t thank them enough."
Kristin Fetters-Walp is a Lake Stevens freelance writer.
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