1. Agree to have a FREE two-step energy audit. When you do, we'll perform a brief visual inspection to determine whether your house is a good fit for the program. If it is, we'll ask you to complete a loan application, then return with test equipment that determines if we can improve your home's energy efficiency enough to qualify it for the Help My House! program.

2. Choose a contractor to make your energy improvements. If your home qualifies for the program, we'll give you a list of approved contractors who can help make your home more comfortable and energy efficient in a variety of ways.

3. Finance your improvements with a low-interest loan. Improving your home's energy efficiency is a wise investment. And paying for it is easy. You can either choose to pay for the improvements in full or take advantage of a 4% loan program available only to co-op members.

4. Pay for your improvements on your monthly bill. If you choose to finance your improvements, we'll make it easy by including the monthly payments on your power bill. The cost of the loan stays with the home so, if you move, you'll leave the loan behind and the next owner will take over the payments.

5. Enjoy the benefits of a more energy efficient home. As a homeowner, you can save energy, be more comfortable and know that you're doing your part to help your co-op and state become more energy efficient.

Why is my co-op encouraging me to use less of the product (electricity) they sell?

• Electric co-ops are not-for-profit, member-owned businesses, so our only goal is to do what's best for the people we serve.

• We encourage the wise use of energy through improved energy efficiency to save our members money.

• Increasing members’ energy efficiency helps us delay building expensive new power plants by helping decrease demand.

For more information, call Santee Electric Cooperative at 1-800-922-1604 or click here to complete an application.