More than 50 towns collaborated for the largest Button Up Vermont campaign ever
Vermont Business Magazine The largest Button Up Vermont weatherization campaign ever is winding down this week, but Vermonters will benefit from the impacts of the campaign for years to come. The collaboration brought together towns, energy organizations, and energy service providers to provide resources to help Vermonters save money and energy on home heating through weatherization.
Fifty-three communities across Vermont participated in this year’s campaign, helping promote Button Up Vermont to their neighbors through more than 40 community events. Button Up Vermont organizers estimate that the campaign reached over 1,000 people through direct attendance at these events. Residents of the participating communities signed up for more than 400 free home energy visits. During a typical home visit, an energy efficiency expert helps the homeowner identify opportunities for energy and cost savings, answers questions specific to each home, and provides resources to help the homeowner save energy.
“As a first-time participating community, we were thrilled to help our neighbors take steps to save money and energy,” said Ned O’Rourke of Wardsboro’s Energy Committee. Wardsboro hosted a “Step Up to Button Up” workshop during its annual Gilfeather Turnip Festival & Contest in October. “We had 22 people sign up to take advantage of the energy visit, and many more stopped by during the festival to discover what Button Up Vermont has to offer. We’re excited to work with our community members to help them continue to learn more – we’ll be back next year!”
Other events included a joint event between the Jericho and Essex Energy Committees and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, Home $olutions for Climate Change, which saw hundreds of Chittenden County residents stopping by to tour a home weatherization demonstration trailer, learn about resources for home energy savings, and enjoy face painting for the kids.
“Nearly every home in Vermont can save money and energy by weatherizing – like sealing air leaks in their homes to limit cold drafts. Weatherization is key to achieving the state’s energy goals,” said Melanie Needle of the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. “Button Up Vermont helps us bring our communities together to spread the word about the necessity of weatherizing.”
This year’s Button Up Vermont campaign came as Vermonters had more available resources than ever before to invest in weatherization projects. New weatherization incentives from Efficiency Vermont and VGS increased in 2019, particularly for moderate-income households, which make up 60% of households in Vermont. Low-income households are eligible for free weatherization services through the Weatherization Assistance Program.
“Low- and moderate-income households are heavily burdened by the high cost of heating in Vermont,” said Rebecca Foster, Director of Efficiency Vermont. “Weatherization helps all Vermonters reduce the cost of heating each winter and make their homes more comfortable all year round. The new incentives we are offering are helping more Vermonters than ever before stay warm and save money on their energy costs.”
The campaign supports the ongoing efforts of town Energy Committees to promote and educate residents about ways to save energy and money.
“Energy Committees are the boots on the ground for energy action in our communities. As that network has grown, we were thrilled to see more communities than ever participate in Button Up Vermont,” said Johanna Miller, Coordinator of the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN), which helps start and support Energy Committees statewide. “Button Up Vermont builds on that network and helps bring new towns to the table for energy and climate action.”
The final two events of the campaign are scheduled for December 11th and 14th in Huntington and Barre City, but the home energy visits will continue through January 2020. Weatherization projects completed by participating residents will help those households save energy and money for many years.
For more details on Button Up Vermont visit www.buttonupvermont.org. For information on available incentives, visit www.efficiencyvermont.org.
About Button Up Vermont
Button Up Vermont 2019 is a community-based, public outreach campaign, designed to help Vermonters take action and reach our statewide goal of 25% energy savings in 80,000 homes by the year 2020. Button up Vermont Partners include: BROC Weatherization, Building Energy, Burlington Electric, Capstone Community Action, Champlain Valley Weatherization Service, Efficiency Vermont, Energy Action Network, Energy Coop of Vermont, Front Porch Forum, Green Mountain Power, Montpelier Construction, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, NETO Weatherization, SEVCA Weatherization, South Burlington Energy Committee, SunCommon, Vermont Electric Cooperative, Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network, VEEP! (Vermont Energy Education Program), Vermont Gas Systems, Vermont Public Power Supply Authority, Vital Communities, Washington Electric Cooperative.
Source: Efficiency Vermont. 12.5.2019