City Has Home Energy Efficiency Contest

by Patch Staff

The city, in an effort to get homeowners thinking more about energy efficiency, is sponsoring a home energy makeover contest where the winner will win $10,000 worth of efficiency improvements.

The contest, overseen by the Sustainable Home Initiative in the New Economy — SHINE — runs through Aug. 15.

It is open to all single-family homeowners living in the Atlanta city limits or Decatur city limits.

“A properly weatherized home can save homeowners an average of $437 on their annual utility bills,” Aaron Bastian, the city’s program manager for SHINE, said in a statement.

SHINE is providing $1 million in rebates for qualifying home energy efficiency improvements over the next 18 months. Homeowners can receive up to $3,500 in rebates for air sealing, insulation improvement, weatherstripping, caulking and replacement of leaky doors and windows. SHINE said its contracting firms have already performed energy assessments on more than 125 Atlanta homes, converting about a third of those into energy efficiency improvement jobs.

SHINE is funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and by U.S. Department of Energy
grants administered through the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Homeowners interested in entering the contest should go to: www.homeenergymakeovers.net.

Atlanta residents may call 404-954-8500 and Decatur homeowners may can call 678-553-6577 for more information.