By Dave Dyer

Staff Writer

   Representatives from the Maine Housing Authority, Efficiency Maine, the People’s Regional Opportunity Program (PROP), Scarborough Fire Department and Downeast Energy joined Maine State Sen. Philip Bartlett (D-Cumberland County) in a workshop geared towards showing Scarborough residents how to conserve energy in their home while heating them for the winter. The workshop, hosted in the cafeteria at Scarborough High School Monday, drew an audience of six people.

   Tae Chong, a technical services specialist from the Maine Housing Authority, said the organization offers programs for people with low incomes to heat their homes for the upcoming winter, including Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides money to help low income homeowners and renters pay for heating costs. Chong said another program available is the Appliance Replacement Program, which helps replace older home appliances to help reduce energy costs for qualified low-income households. 

   Chong said the best way for people to save money on heating bills is to properly insulate the ceiling and walls of homes. By doing so, Chong said savings of 20 to 40 percent of heating bills could be seen. Chong said the Maine State Housing Authority offers energy auditors, who will inspect homes and estimate where heat is being lost.

  Dick Bacon, program manager for Efficiency Maine, said another way to save energy is to change light bulbs in homes to compact fluorescent light bulbs. Bacon said by switching the light bulbs, people can save $1 a month, per light, in their home. 

  Bacon said another way of conserving energy is to turn all lights off in a home when leaving for long periods of time and also said people need to insulate their homes, as it will save money.  

  Charlie Kennedy, board member of PROP and Key Bank said LIHEAP is a one-time payment for 150 gallons of heating oil. Kennedy said part of the program for homes accepted for LIHEAP is assistance in weatherizing the house to save money on heating bills.

  Kennedy also said banks will try to help people with low incomes find a way to finance the heating of their homes for the winter, whether it’s paying cash, restructuring debt, or using a home equity loan. 

  “Banks in Maine are safe and sound, and will be around for the long haul,” Kennedy said. “They won’t steer you wrong or give you a loan you cannot afford. If you don’t have good credit, we can give resources to help the process.”

  Lt. Mark Stults of the Scarborough Fire Department said after the first energy crisis during the Jimmy Carter presidency, the fire department had trouble with fires in the walls of homes because of improper installation. Stults said the fire department offers inspections for Scarborough residents who are installing new heating units in their homes. 

  Stults also said families should also have at least two different ways to leave a house during a fire, and to practice those routes regularly.

  “I ask kids if they practice sports,” Stults said. “Most of them say they do. Fire drills in homes are the same thing, they should practice for that as well.”

  Tim Kiely from Downeast Energy said homeowners should do regular check ups on heating systems, making sure they are at least 85 percent efficient. 

  Kiely said another way to save energy is to have a programmable thermostat system, which allows homeowners to pre-set temperatures to account for the occupation of certain rooms. By doing so, Kiely said the heat will be able to change throughout the day, and can warm up when people get home.

  Kiely also said to make sure never to turn down the thermostat more than five degrees lower than it normally would because it will cost more to reheat the house.

Bartlett, who is seeking reelection on Nov. 4, said Maine has some of the oldest homes in the country, and one of the ways the state has tried to help the energy crisis is by passing the Energy Efficient Building Fund. 

  “If I’m re-elected as senator, I will look towards the hiring of twice the amount of energy auditors for the state, and will push for a bond made for energy conservation for both homes and businesses,” Bartlett said.