STARKVILLE — Friends of J.L. King and Starkville Utilities are partnering to create a program to help residents save money on their utility bills.
The program, “Power-Up,” aims to educate Starkville residents who may be struggling to pay their bills during the coronavirus pandemic. Power-Up offers a class on how participants can lower the cost of utility bills by making their homes more energy-efficient.
Alison Buehler, finance chair for Friends of J.L. King Center, said this program not only helps people with their current bills but allows them to gain long-term budgeting and power-saving skills.
“We don’t want this class to be a bandaid, but learning how to lower your bills overall,” Buehler said.
Buehler said qualifying applicants for the workshop must be delinquent on their utility bills. Participants who complete the class receive up to 50 percent of their delinquent bill paid, and they only have to attend one class in order to receive this financial relief.
Friends of J.L. King Center raised about $2,000 in private donations to fund the program. SUD and Tennessee Valley Authority are exploring ways to match that investment, SUD General Manager Terry Kemp said.
About 10 to 15 percent of SUD’s customers are behind on their utility bill at any given time, Kemp said.
Buehler will be giving the instruction for the course from materials provided by Starkville Utilities. This instruction will cover areas such as weather stripping, insulation, weatherizing windows and doors, how LED light bulbs can reduce power usage and how water heaters and HVAC systems affect power usage.
Once participants complete the class, they will be partnered with a “mentor” to come to their residence and show them how to make energy-efficient changes.
“A lot of these are things that require a modest investment, but you can get tremendous return from over time,” Kemp said.
Kemp said TVA provided $8,000 in funding about a year ago to help with improvements to the J.L. King Center, many of which focused on energy efficiency. These workshops are a continuation of that partnership.
“This is a great community project,” Kemp said. “It’s just another example of a way of how we can partner with this group in ways that help people.”
Buehler said Power-Up is looking for volunteers to serve as mentors to show the participants how to be energy-efficient and resourceful in their homes. She said these volunteers would teach the participants how to do the “tricks” instead of doing it for them.
“Little tricks really make a difference,” Buehler said. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Buehler.
The Power-Up class takes place at the J.L. King Center from 11 a.m. to noon every Thursday. People wanting to take the class can sign up on the J.L. King Center website or in person at the center.
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