Wyandotte's New Energy Program Is Amping Up

It’s hard to get people to agree on much of anything these days, but one thing nearly everyone will likely agree upon is that energy prices are higher than ever.

It isn’t just that gasoline is hovering around $4 a gallon. Electric and natural gas prices have just about everybody looking for a way to save energy–and save money.

A new program put into place by the city of Wyandotte, in conjunction with the state of Michigan, is aiming to do just that. And if saving cash isn’t enough of an incentive, a little neighborhood competition is also at stake.

The Save a Watt in Wyandotte program is designed to help Wyandotte homeowners make their homes more energy efficient and comfortable.

The program is part of the new BetterBuildings in Michigan, announced late last year by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and is funded through $4.3 million in state and federal grants.

Eventually, the Wyandotte program will be held citywide, but initially it is targeting two specific communities: the Garfield neighborhood (with the rough boundaries of Biddle Avenue, Ford Avenue, the railroad tracks and Maple) and the McKinley neighborhood (with boundaries of Biddle, Grove, the tracks and Eureka).

And that’s where the competition comes in. The neighborhoods will go head-to-head from now through July 31. The neighborhood that has the most home energy efficient upgrades by that deadline will be credited with providing $25,000 in energy upgrades to an area public building, most likely .

“Whether they’re helping to win the challenge for their neighborhood, to bring more energy efficiency jobs to Michigan or to make their own homes healthier and more comfortable, we hope every household sees the value of getting on board," said Pamela Tierney, energy systems program manager for .

Residents who sign up for the program will be able to participate in all three steps of the program, the first of which is a free home energy audit and the installation of some energy saving devices.

During the energy audit, program representatives will do a complete walk-through of a home, looking for issues such as temperature differences from room to room, condensation on window and other signs of energy inefficiency. The auditor will then check the complete HVAC system, including ducts and vents. The audit also includes a check of insulation, doors and windows.

“For every home, we’ll write observations and recommendations for the homeowners,” Tierney said.

Under step two, residents can qualify for incentives to help pay for blower door-assisted air and duct sealing to increase home comfort and decrease energy losses. According to Tierney, the process includes sealing the entire house and attaching a large fan to the front door to force air through the home. A small bit of smoke is then added to the pressurized air in the home, and a check is done to see from where the smoke may be escaping.

Because of the grant, the city is able to subsidize most of the cost of the pressure test.

“It’s actually about an $800 package,” Tierney said, adding that the final costs to homeowners is $50, or $100 if they also choose to have their duct work tested. “We’d like to see everyone take advantage of it.”

In the final step, residents can get double rebates on energy saving measures and equipment and may qualify for low-interest financing to pay for qualifying upgrades, such as doors, windows or insulation.

So far, Tierney said, about 50 homeowners have registered for the program, including about 10 who signed up over the weekend at at .

Anyone wanting more information on the program is asked to call 855-674-9926.