The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded a $13 million loan that secures energy efficiency upgrade funding for Santee Electric and six other South Carolina electric cooperatives. The zero-interest loan to S.C. co-ops and a $1 million loan to an Ohio group are the first two awards from the new Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which is being provided through the Electric Program of USDA's Rural Utilities Service. RESP was introduced in congress by Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC - 6th District) and passed as part of the 2014 Farm Bill.
Santee Electric co-op applied for the loan so that it could explore launching a Help My House® residential weatherization program for its members. The other six electric co-ops that applied for the RESP loan are either already operating or interested in launching Help My House programs. The Help My House model offers low-interest loans to consumers to make home energy efficiency improvements that reduce their energy use. To determine if homes qualify for the program, the co-op uses initial testing and computer modeling to identify which improvements are needed and to help ensure savings from those improvements will cover monthly loan payments.
'We want to do the right thing for our members,' said Rob Ardis, CEO of Santee Electric Co-op. 'We're delighted to have secured this RESP funding. Now we can finish evaluating the staffing and other resources that will be required to launch a successful Help My House program.'
To date, Help My House programs have weatherized nearly 640 homes served by South Carolina's consumer-owned electric co-ops. A 2016 analysis of energy savings in the first 125 homes weatherized by Help My House showed they were saving an average of more than 30 percent on energy use.
Call Santee Electric Co-op at 1-800-922-1604 to see if this program can help your house.