State to renew program that helps low-income families cut utility bills

Caitlin Hudgins

Friday, June 18, 2004 | 8:43 a.m.

Summers can be tough on low-income families. Those with incomes of about $800 a month can find themselves spending half of that on power bills, according to a group that helps them get some relief.

The Nevada Housing Division is preparing to renew its program that helps lower utility bills for low-income families. The Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program, around since 1977, pays to make energy-saving changes to the homes of those who qualify.

By paying for projects like insulating ceilings, sealing duct leakage and installing low-flow shower heads, the program lowers a household's combined annual heating and cooling costs by 20 percent to 25 percent, according to a Department of Energy study.

Priority is given to homes with unusually high energy bills, houses of senior citizens or disabled persons and households with children under age 6.

High utility bills can become a weight on a low-income family's budget, program manager Craig Davis said.

The majority of low-income families rent their homes for at least $300 per month, he said. In families with senior citizens, there's probably a monthly prescription medicine bill of $100. Add those costs to a $400 energy bill, and there is limited money left for food, much less clothing or entertainment, Davis said.

"I don't know how they exist," Davis said. "One of the scariest things in life would be to not be able to pay your bills."

The program for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1, is expected to pay about $3.6 million to weatherize 908 homes. Repairs average $2,500 per home.

The housing division accepted comments on the new fiscal year's program, which makes minor changes to the program, through Friday as part of the renewal process.

One of the most important repairs in Clark County is the installation of roof insulation in mobile homes, Davis said.

Trailers are like "large dutch ovens," and can reach 90 degrees in the summer if families can't afford to run their air-conditioning units.

Without repairs to inefficient homes, it becomes a survival situation, Debra Gibson of HELP of Southern Nevada said.

On a visit to the home of a low-income family, Davis found a woman sprawled out on her family room carpet in an effort to cool off.

"The coldest place was lying on the floor," he said.

Another helpful measure is refrigerator replacement, Gibson said. The weatherization program usually provides a 400-kilowatt fridge to take the place of a 1,200-kilowatt unit.

In one case, a refrigerator was giving off so much heat that it melted some of the items in a nearby cabinet.