October 6, 2010 — Low-income families under stress from high utility bills can find relief through a new energy savings program supported by UT-Battelle.
A $5,000 donation from UT-Battelle to the Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties, or ADFAC, will help supply weatherization kits and organize educational workshops designed to inform families about simple energy-saving options. ADFAC, an Oak Ridge-based nonprofit organization founded in 1987, strives to support the local low-income community through its social services and affordable housing programs.
"This wonderful contribution from UT-Battelle will allow us to launch a new program to help impoverished families significantly reduce their energy consumption and lower their utility bills," said Annie Cacheiro, executive director of ADFAC.
The Weatherization GreenKits will contain a variety of simple energy-saving items such as weather stripping, compact fluorescent light bulbs and rope caulk. Workshops taught by skilled volunteers will teach the beneficiaries how to use the items in the kit and prove additional advice for saving energy in their homes. Cacheiro said a large number of families are in need of such basic assistance with home upgrades.
"Many of our clients simply don't know that small changes in their homes and actions can make a big difference in their monthly energy costs," Cacheiro said.
UT-Battelle has donated more than $5.7 million to civic and cultural outreach initiatives and economic development programs since becoming the managing contractor of ORNL in 2000.
ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy's Office of Science.