Report finds thousands in western N.C. and eastern Tenn. need energy efficiency financing

Marshall, N.C. on the French Broad River. Photo by Jamie Goodman

CONTACT: Rory McIlmoil, Appalachian Voices Energy Savings Program Manager, rory@appvoices.org, (828) 262-1500 Boone, N.C. — A program that pays for the upfront cost of home energy improvements could lower monthly bills for thousands of families in western North Carolina while creating jobs, strengthening local economies, and protecting natural resources and public health, according to Appalachian…

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Serving residents by saving energy

Students at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. spent a recent Saturday volunteering with Appalachian Voices and others to give two local homes an energy efficiency boost. The work was part of the school’s 18th annual MLK Challenge. “They caught energy leaks I knew nothing about,” said Faith Wright of Vilas, N.C., who was grateful for the volunteer energy of what she called the “student worker bees.”

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French Broad Energy Forum is a Success

Nearly 60 citizens attended an energy efficiency information session in mid-November for members of the French Broad Electric Membership Corp., an electric cooperative that serves six rural counties in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.

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French Broad communities broadly support on-bill financing

Community members in the French Broad electric co-op service area in western NC attend a forum on energy efficiency.

Our recent “French Broad Community Energy Forum” in western North Carolina brought together more than 60 residents and representatives of local government, community service agencies, and businesses to learn and talk about the advantages of providing upfront financing for residents to make home energy efficiency improvements.

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Energy bill acrobatics

For the Schmidt family of Tazewell, Tennessee, managing their budget is a balancing act, and one they have become very good at. But high electric bills–up to $300 in the winter–makes that balance tricky to maintain, sometimes leaving very little for emergency funds, much less for the home repairs they need that could actually lower their energy use.

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