CHICAGO, IL - Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, one of the nation's largest energy providers, is working with Habitat for Humanity, the global housing charity, to reduce the energy bills of 70 low-income homes in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.
The big utility Exelon is teaming with Habitat for Humanity to retrofit low-income homes.The company, which has one of the largest fleet of trucks in the country, will help weatherize the homes as part of its larger "Exelon 2020" program to eliminate its carbon footprint.
"We are committed to doing our part," said Joe Dominguez, an Excelon spokesman. "When we went looking for someone to partner with and Habitat for Humanity was brought up, it was a no brainer."
The ten-month project will involve evaluating the homes and then performing tasks such as weather stripping, caulking, adding or replacing door seals, switching out light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones and adding water-saving devices such as low-flow toilets and showerheads.
Exelon is donating $300,000 to fund the project as well as 7,000 volunteer hours through its own employees.
Exelon and Habitat officials estimate that the steps they take in weatherizing the homes will save owners between 12 and 25 percent on their utility bills. "This partnership allows us to make houses more sustainable through energy efficiency," Habitat for Humanity International's senior director for U.S. programs, Mark Andrews, said in a statement.
"Through our work with Exelon, we have identified affordable, sustainable improvements that homeowners can make today to use less energy."
While the project is Habitat's first focused on weatherization, local affiliates of both the organization and Excelon have worked together before.
In July, Habitat and Exelon volunteers completed construction on an energy efficient home in Waukegan, Ill., that is expected to become the first Habitat-built home in the state to be LEED-certified by the United States Green Building Council.
Source: GreenInc