American Gas - March 2010 - (Page 16)

news Missouri Utilities Join Forces to Provide Energy-Efficiency Bill Credits Two Missouri uTiliTies have joined forces to provide their customers with up to $1,200 in bill industry credits for making energy efficiency improvements in their homes. Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) and KCP&L have formed a partnership that is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Home Performance with Energy Star program, a national initiative designed to give homeowners the resources to make energy-efficient home improvements. While numerous utilities across the country are participating in the program, MGE and KCP&L say their partnership is unique. Under the program, a trained and certified energy auditor performs a whole-house energy audit to find areas where energy is being lost. The auditor then prepares a list of home improvements to correct each deficiency. The homeowner can select and implement one of the qualifying improvements, and KCP&L and MGE will each reimburse the customer up to $600 for the combined cost of the energy audit and qualifying home improvements. While the energy audit is comprehensive and may list many steps the homeowner can take to become more energy efficient, only improvements to the building envelope—repairing broken ductwork, caulking and sealing air leaks, adding more insulation, replacing leaky doors and windows—qualify for reimbursement. The program is administered by the Kansas City Metropolitan Energy Center, which is also responsible for certifying auditors and ensuring that each audit and home improvement meets program standards. Jason Fulp, external communications and marketing representative for MGE, said the program has been “way more successful than we ever anticipated.” He said about 200 homeowners have received rebates since the program began in September. Fulp said he expects the program to “snowball,” noting that Kansas City has already incorporated Home Performance with Energy Star into its Green Impact Zone program, which is designed to transform a blighted urban neighborhood into a sustainable community, aided by federal stimulus funds. Fulp added that the Missouri Public Service Commission encouraged KCP&L and MGE to develop the energy efficiency program as part of decoupling rate structures approved for the utilities. The utilities then decided to join forces to develop a marketing strategy to maximize customer participation, create a consistent logo and reduce costs. Heard iT Through the Pipeline “we will champion environmentally safe offshore energy exploration and production, bringing with it thousands of new jobs, hundreds of millions in new state revenue and billions in new investment.” —Inaugural address of VIrgInIa goV. robert Mcdonnell march 2010 AmericAn GAs

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - March 2010

American Gas - March 2010
President’s Message
In the Know
Contents
Industry News
Safety First
To Be the Best
It All Computes
From Volatile to Variable
Vendor News
Advertisers' Index
Places to Be
Marketplace
Jobline
Noteworthies
Facts on Gas

American Gas - March 2010