According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, residential heating bills are expected to rise this year compared with last winter. Heating oil, according to the USEIA website is expected to change by 38 percent, natural gas by 22 percent, propane by 26 percent, and electricity by 5 percent.

There are lots of ways the average household could lower heating costs, the Warren Forest EOC says. That’s why they run a weatherization program, targeted at easing the burden of heating bills on demographics like the elderly, disabled, and low-income family demographics in both Warren and Forest Counties. There are lots of programs that can help these populations make their homes more efficiently hold heat.

Anyone interested in receiving weatherization measures on their home must first complete a pre-application at the EOC, which is located at 1209 Pennsylvania Avenue West in Warren. Once the EOC receives the pre-application, the family is added to a waiting list, which EOC Weatherization Director Brittany Henry said “can be lengthy.” The best bet, she said, is to get a pre-application in as early as possible, as applications are dealt with in the order in which they are received. There are factors, Henry went on to say, that affect a family on the waiting list’s wait, such as how many are ahead of them in queue, and which of the homes applied for the EOC can actually work on, as well as what the EOC receives each year for weatherization funding. “There are many homes in our area that we cannot work on,” said Henry, “due to mold and moisture issues.” But those issues can only be ascertained by actually doing an audit.

The first step in EOC weatherization involves an audit, where EOC auditors will come to a home and depressurize the residence to determine just where heat is leaking out and cold is leaking in.

The state weatherization program, Henry said, piroritizes weatherization needs on a case-by-case basis based on the state’s system. Of highest priority, according to the state, are insulation, ventilation, and air sealing of homes. Other measures may be ordered by auditors, but insulation, ventilation, and sealing are the most important and will be completed before anything else.

Once the intake paperwork is completed, homes will be ranked on a priority scale issued by the state and clients are placed on a service list, with placement on that list based on priority. To qualify for any of the state weatherization services, households must meet 2016 200 percent federal poverty level guidelines based on income. All gross (pre-tax) income for the past 12 months is included in the income evaluation. The 200 percent Federal Poverty Guidelines are: for a family of one, $23,760; family of two, $32,040; family of three, $40,320; family of four, $48,600; family of five, $56,8880; and for a family of six, $65,160. For each additional member of a family over six, $8,320 is added to the guideline amount.

Income must be less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the entire household for all 12 months preceding their application. The house must be their residence, and they must provide proof of income, proof of ownership – or a landlord’s proof of ownership if renting, with the landlord’s signature on the application – photo ID, and copies of current electric and fuel bills that show annual usage.

Another line of defense for those families who need help with winter heating is the LIHEAP Crisis grant. The program, which runs from November to April, is for emergency services for households without heat or whose occupants have serious health threats due to faulty heating equipment. To qualify for the crisis grant, families must first be enrolled in the LIHEAP program, for which applications are available at the County Assistance Office. For this program, the income guidelines require applicants to be below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. That means, for a family of one,  a gross annual income of no more than $17,820; for a family of 2 no more than $24,030; for a family of three no more than $30,240; for a family of four no more than $36,450; for a family of five no more than $42,560; and for a family of six no more than $48,870. The EOC asks that anyone with a non-operational heating system call (814) 726-8850 in Warren County.

The EOC also notes that there is a National Fuel weatherization program for National Fuel customers who are under 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline and who own or rent a home (mobile homes are not accepted for this program) and have an annual usage of 1,300 ccfs. Customers can find their annual usage on their most current bill. National Fuel also runs a repair and replace program, with the same guidelines for their weatherization program, which addresses current customers who have a broken heating system or a broken or leaking hot water tank. The repair and replace program is for homeowners who can provide a copy of their deed, proof of income, a signed customer agreement, and a completed referral form.

Penelec also offers a “WARM” program for current customers under 200 percent of the poverty guidelines with an annual usage of at least 6,500 KWH and who have not been weatherized through Penelec in the last five years.

According to Henry, there are some things to remember about the EOC weatherization programs. Weatherization will not repair or replace a home’s roof. In fact, she said, if the condition of a roof is poor enough it can actually prevent the EOC from providing other weatherization services until the roof is fixed. Extreme moisture and/or mold in a residence is a another prohibitive condition to EOC weatherization services.

After insulation, ventilation, and air sealing, Henry said, which will save the most on utility costs monthly, measures such as replacing broken glass and window or door repair can be evaluated. Replacement of things like windows and doors, she said, is only considered if it is more cost-saving to replace than to repair what’s already there.

The EOC provides weatherization services free to qualifying clients, but if it’s discovered that not all information relevant to determining eligibility was disclosed, Henry said, clients will be responsible for repaying the EOC for the cost of the weatherization measures they received.

Each address can only receive weatherization services once in a certain amount of time. National Fuel and Penelec have their own wait periods between weatherization efforts, but the state weatherization program administered by the EOC will not weatherize a property that has received weatherization measures after 1994.

Furthermore, Henry said, homeowners who receive weatherization services who then sell their home within 12 months of receiving those services will be required to repay the cost of those services to the EOC. Renters, she said, cannot be evicted for reasons related to weatherization for 18 months.

Each weatherization intake, according to the EOC, is good for one year. If an audit results in a deferral, for mold or roofing issues most often, a new weatherization audit will be conducted once the issue that caused the deferral is fixed to determine whether measures can be installed at that time.

The most common issues that cause deferrals, according to the EOC, are moisture – roof, basement, rotted wood, and leaking foundations – and mold. “Where there is moisture mold will grow,” according to the EOC. Weatherization measures are intended to “tighten up” a home, which would actually cause mold growth to increase. Mechanical failure of heating equipment and structural disrepair (open floors and walls, roof, and foundation) are the next most common causes of deferrals. Also, according to the EOC, combustible appliances that emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can cause a deferral.

To get on the EOC weatherization waiting list, Henry said, just call the office at (814) 726-2400 ext. 3000 and request a pre-application. Completed applications must be returned to the EOC and names will be placed on the waiting list. When intake openings become available, clients will be called and given a full intake. Upon completion of intake homes will be assigned priority on the service list and energy audit appointments will be scheduled as available.