Bee Wise - Weatherize!

Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) has been operating a weatherization assistance program since 1975. This is a federally funded program geared toward qualified low-income elderly and handicapped households. Bee Wise-Weatherize™ is a business of CMCA, providing energy efficiency services to the general public. All profits of Bee Wise-Weatherize™ are donated back to CMCA to achieve its charitable mission.

Bee Wise-Weatherize™ services include:

• Energy Audits
• Weatherization
• Residential Retrofits
• Geo-Thermal Heating
• Insulation Contractor
• Training & Consulting
• Solar Lighting & Heating
• Construction Management

Weatherization Assistance Program

The Goals of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) are:

• To increase energy efficient housing
• To continue to reduce utility bills
• To provide comfortable and safe housing for program recipients
• To provide effective management of federal, state and local funds
• To continue the improvement of weatherization services

CMCA's Weatherization Assistance Program assists in achieving a healthy dwelling environment and maximum practicable energy conservation in housing for people with low income. One main goal of the program is to help those persons least able to afford high energy costs conserve energy thereby allowing families to use the money saved for more pressing family needs.

Weatherization is the nation's largest residential energy efficiency program. High energy costs are an excessive burden on low income Americans. Weatherization helps alleviate this burden and improves the standard of living for these individuals and families.

Who is Eligible for the Program?

Eligibility is based on total household income which cannot exceed the 200% federal poverty income guidelines. If you own or rent, live in a single family home, multi family housing complex or a mobile home you can apply for weatherization assistance. If you rent, we must obtain written permission from your landlord before weatherization services can be performed.

Your home cannot be weatherized if you have already received this service after September 1994.

Where and How Do I Apply?

To apply for weatherization services, fill out the application which is available under the Resources tab. You may mail the completed application to 800 North Providence, Suite 104, Columbia, MO 65203

Required Documents:

• Proof of ALL household income for previous three months (not including the month you apply)
• Utility bill with account number
• Homeowners - Provide proof of home ownership
• Renters - Provide property owner or landlord's name, address and telephone number

How Does the Program Work?

The program consists of four basic steps:

• Application to determine income eligibility
• Advanced energy audit of the dwelling by a professional energy auditor
• Installation of approved energy conservation measures
• A final inspection to assure work quality completeness and customer satisfaction

How Will I Benefit from Participating?

Weatherization reduces your energy bills for an extended period of time. Some weatherization methods such as insulating your walls or attic, for example, will continue to provide you savings for the lifetime of your house - 30 years or more. Others, such as making your heating equipment more efficient, will provide savings for 10 to 15 years. On average, the value of the weatherization improvements to your house is 2.2 times greater than the cost of the improvement itself and can reduce your utility cost by up to $358 the first year alone.

After Applying - The Next Step

After you have signed up for the Weatherization Program your application will be processed to determine if you are eligible for the service. If all the necessary information is available, a letter will be sent to you informing you of your eligibility for the program. The letter will give you information about the selection process for clients who are on our waiting list for weatherization service.

The Energy Auditor will select clients from our waiting list according to priorities described in the eligibility letter. You will then be contacted by phone to schedule an appointment for an energy audit to determine what improvements are needed to make your home more energy efficient. A private contractor or agency crew will complete all approved work.

It is essential that CMCA have a home or message phone number so the audit and work can be scheduled. If your phone number changes or is disconnected, please contact Belal Hassan at 573-443-8706 Extension 1958 with your new number. If you decide to move, please also let Karen Cline know so you may reapply at your new address.

What is the Process for My Home?

The first step in the process is for CMCA to carry out an energy audit. The energy audit is a computerized assessment of your home's energy use and an analysis of which energy conservation measures are best for your home.

Once the audit is complete the CMCA Auditor will write up and explain the major energy conservation measures needed on your home. Depending on your home's needs, the auditor will recommend more work in some houses than in others.

CMCA has sub-contractors and crew that will perform the weatherization measures on your home. Throughout the weatherization process, the health and safety of your family remains the top priority. Following weatherization, an Energy Auditor will return to make certain that everything is working properly and that nothing was missed.

Weatherization Staff Contact Information

Richmond Wheeler - Energy Conservation Coordinator - 573.777.5270, Ext. 1407
Email: Richmond-Wheeler@ShowMeAction.org

David Gregory - Weatherization Chief Auditor - 573.777.5270, Ext. 1409
Email: David-Gregory@ShowMeAction.org

Keith Conners - Chief Inspector - 573.777.5270, Ext. 1412
Email: Keith-Conners@ShowMeAction.org

Judy Miller - Administrative Billing Coordinator - 573.777.5270, Ext. 1408
Email: Judy-Miller@ShowMeAction.org

Darrell Tidball – Energy Auditor – 573.777.5270, Ext. 1410
Email: Darrell-Tidball@ShowMeAction.org