CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As households in West Virginia work to take advantage of $88 million in federal Home Energy Rebate Programs, contractors in the state are working to keep up with the rising demand.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced last month that the Mountain State was pioneering two opportunities through U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Rebate Programs to cut down on utility costs. Through the Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) and Home Efficiency Appliance Rebates (HEAR) programs, qualifying homeowners can receive up to $34,000 in upgrades to their heating and cooling systems, insulation, along with modern appliances such as electric stoves and water heaters.
Clay Stevens and John Brumley, both with the West Virginia Office of Energy, visited MetroNews “Midday” recently to highlight the growing need for contractors.
A program coordinator at the state’s energy office, Brumley said he and Stevens have been advertising the program throughout the Mountain State, having conversations with high school and trade school students. He said two certifications are good to obtain right off the bat.
“OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 is a great thing to start with,” Brumley said. “If you have an avenue to go and get that, it could really open up some doors not only in what you’re doing with us here in the Office of Energy working on homes in your community. But after that commitment where you’ve worked with us for two years, that opens up extra opportunities in your future career.”
Stevens, a program manager at West Virginia’s Office of Energy, outlined the process for qualified households to get improvements. He said that a contractor goes to a home and conducts a “comprehensive energy audit,” which includes a “blower-door test.” That’s when all openings, such as windows, doors, and more, are sealed off in the home and the air is “sucked” out of the home, he said.
That type of equipment is not cheap, Stevens noted.
“They can go around with thermal imaging cameras and see exactly where leaks are going out of your home and where you might need some upgrades,” Stevens said. “This diagnostic equipment alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars, which is a huge burden for our contractors to overcome.”
However, Stevens said the Office of Energy is doing its part to eliminate potential barriers for contractors.
“The good news is we have implemented different program designs to offset the cost for the contractors going through our program,” Stevens said. “If you’re enrolled in the contractor training program and you need that startup equipment, there’s avenues for you to obtain that at little to no cost to you through these programs.”
Estimated savings for homeowners with these upgrades are between $1,000 and $2,500 each year.
Brumley said that these contracting jobs are invaluable for youth entering the workforce.
“When we were talking to high school students and young people in trade programs, I think that was one thing we really tried to drive home is that this is not only exciting hands-on work and a good skill to know just in your day-to-day life, but also it is a really great door to open professionally and a great way to start,” Brumley said.
Since the rollout of the program, Stevens said, there’s been a rush to get contractors to keep up with the demand. He said that there are “long-term strategies” in place as contractors obtain their certifications through the West Virginia Certified Energy Contractor program, but there’s a need now.
“We have around 122 folks currently enrolled in our training program. which is eight months,” Stevens said. “So, four or five months down the road, we’re going to be okay. But the demand is here right now. So, what we’re looking for are those fully licensed contractors that’s already out there working and that need additional work. Please come to us. We can put you to work.”
The HEAR program using some of the federally allocated money is geared towards the low-income families, Brumley explained. He noted that the HOME program is open for a “larger swath of incomes.” He said that it’s calculated on “area median income.”
“A great way to check and see if you’re eligible right now is to go to energywv.org, navigate to the Home Energy Rebates page,” Brumley said. “If you scroll down, we have something called the eligibility calculator. Just put in your info. It’ll tell you exactly what rebates you can secure.”
The minimum age to begin the contractor training is 17, Brumley said.
Stevens said that once a person receives their certification, there’s a streamlined process.
“You would actually be subcontracted through one of our original implementation partners through West Virginia Community Action Partnership,” Stevens said. “It’s guaranteed job placement as soon as you obtain that West Virginia Energy Efficiency Contractor credential. You get a $ 2,000 sign-on bonus, guaranteed job placement, and you will start getting job assignments sent to your phone the very next day, quite literally.”
Learn more about the programs here.