The City of Moab’s Sustainability Office has launched two new programs to help Moab residents reduce energy use and save money. The City’s “Weatherization Program” is available to owners or renters of single- or double-wide mobile homes, while the Community Conservation Challenge is open to all city residents.
Weatherization Program
The City is working with the company CLEAResult to offer this weatherization program at no charge to owners and renters of single- or double-wide mobile homes with electric heat. For the City to implement the program this fall, at least 50 participants must sign up by the November 22 deadline, Moab City Sustainability Director Rosemarie Russo said. Labor and equipment will be paid for through a grant, and the partnering contractor will perform the work, which is all done on the underside of the mobile home. The contractor will seal openings around ducts and pipes, which will save approximately $91 per year on residents’ energy bills, based on Utah’s electricity rates and the average temperatures in the Moab area, according to Russo.
“Skirted trailers are eligible and residents do not need to be present during the process,” Russo said. “Sealing to prevent air leaks is listed among the top 10 saving strategies for Utah residents and businesses.”
The contractor will select three days in December to complete the work, Russo added.
To sign up for the weatherization program, contact Russo by email at rrusso@moabcity.org or sign up at the Sustainability Office at City Hall, 217 E. Center Street, second floor.
Community Conservation Challenge
In an effort to help all City residents save money throughout the year, the Sustainability Office has launched the Community Conservation Challenge. Residents are invited to pick up conservation kits, which include energy-efficient light bulbs, foam gaskets to insulate electrical outlets, safety plugs for outlets, and water-conserving sink aerators and shower heads.
Since the challenge began in October, Russo says the City Sustainability Office has distributed 395 of the small efficiency kits, saving those residents approximately $180 per year in energy cost – which amounts to more than $71,000 annually community-wide, she said. Through the remainder of the challenge, which ends Dec. 31, she hopes to hand out another 200 efficiency kits.
Russo has created a map that groups neighborhoods by animal symbols and she will track the neighborhoods in which the most kits are requested. That neighborhood will be recognized at the end of the challenge, she said.
“If you pick up a kit, we’ll ask you to indicate your neighborhood animal,” Russo said. “Part of the effort is to protect our wildlife through conservation practices. Energy efficiency results in air quality benefits by limiting precursor emissions, especially nitrogen oxide emissions from heating.”
The challenge incorporates several of the simplest items residents can use to make their homes more energy-efficient. The kits are paid for by a grant opportunity received by the Sustainability Office, Russo said.
“The City has been working with the National Renewable Energy Lab to identify the top 16 most cost-effective energy-efficiency measures,” she said. “Among that list are LED lighting and air sealing.”
To receive a Community Conservation Challenge energy-efficiency kit, sign up at the City Sustainability Office, City Hall, 217 E. Center Street, second floor.
More information about these and other energy-efficiency options is available at the Sustainability Office or by emailing Russo at rrusso@moabcity.org.
(Pictured: High school sustainability intern Jack Charlton hands out energy efficiency kits at the Grand County Food Bank)
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Media inquiries, please contact Lisa Church, Moab City Communications Manager, lchurch@moabcity.org, 435-260-7027.