How$martKY offers money-saving energy efficiency improvements

Many KFTC members who are interested in making their homes more comfortable and energy efficient are now able to make it happen!  

How$martKY is an on-bill energy efficiency financing program that doesn’t require a credit check. This means that rural electric cooperative members with high utility bills can often get energy upgrades with no down payment, add the financed payment to their electric bill, and still save money every month.  

How$martKY has been working with four rural electric cooperatives for the last few years and is now in the process of expanding the program to include two new co-op partners. If you are in the following service areas, you may be eligible for a free energy audit to determine if you can be approved for financing:

• Fleming Mason Energy: 606-845-2661
• Grayson RECC:   606-474-5136
• Jackson Energy:   606-364-1000
• Big Sandy RECC:   606-789-4095

You can also find more information at www.maced.org/howsmart-contact.htm

The Farmers RECC and the Licking Valley Rural Electric also are joining the How$martKY program and should start offering audits sometime this year.

If you or someone you know are dealing with high utility bills, How$martKY may be able to help. The process begins with an energy audit, provided free to co-op members in good standing that have high utility bills. The energy evaluator will conduct a quick interview, do a visual inspection of the home, and finish the audit with some high-tech testing using a blower door and thermal camera.  

This information is then entered into sophisticated modeling software to see which potential upgrade packages have the highest return on investment. If your auditor is able to design an improvement package with an estimated monthly savings that is higher than the financed monthly payment, you may be able to finance the upgrades with no down payment.  

"This program is one of the best things as a homeowner that has happened to me."

Not every improvement package saves more than the payment, but co-op members have the option of putting money down in these cases. (The How$martKY program is not allowed to increase your overall utility costs.) The best part of the program is the fact that there is no obligation to the client, unless or until they sign the final proposal. This means that even in the worst-case scenario, the customer receives free information on how to make their home more comfortable and efficient.

As mentioned, not every How$martKY job works out with no money down, but co-op members have the option of making a down payment if they are able. Many How$martKY clients are happily surprised that the program allows them to get a new heat pump without paying cash for it, and with much better terms than they are able to find elsewhere.

Generous rebates from the rural electric cooperatives often lower the total package costs, and grant funding of up to $2,000 is also available to some low- and moderate-income families for jobs completed by the end of this year.  

Check out this quote from a satisfied How$martKY customer: “The contractors were outstanding. We saw a big difference the first month. It was like a huge weight lifted off of me. This program is one of the best things as a homeowner that has happened to me. The word needs to get out about this program because it’s a really wonderful thing.”

If you get electricity from one of the cooperatives mentioned above, and have energy bills of $300 or higher in the summer or winter, it’s quite possible that you will be eligible for the How$martKY program. If you’re interested, contact the member services department of your rural electric cooperative and ask for more information.