SEEKING WINTER AID
BY SUSAN M. COVER
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 08/21/2008

AUGUSTA -- Lawmakers serving on a special panel on energy issues met for the first time Wednesday to talk about what the state can do to help thousands of people heat their homes this winter.

They talked about encouraging Mainers to perform do-it-yourself energy audits.

They considered whether the state should re-examine its policy prohibiting a wood stove and furnace from being vented through the same chimney flue.

And they acknowledged that the state does not have enough money to help everyone who will have a need this winter.

"Our assumption is we are in the midst of a long-term shift in energy," said Peter Merrill, communications and planning director of MaineHousing, formerly called the Maine State Housing Authority.

The Presiding Officers' Heat and Energy Emergency Task Force held the first of five meetings on Wednesday. The 13-member legislative panel has until late November to come up with some recommendations.

"It is really a crisis in Maine," said Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro. "There's a lot to do in a very short period of time. We're committed to filling the gaps that might be out there for people."

Although the price of home heating oil has dropped in recent weeks -- the statewide average was $4 a gallon this week -- it's still significantly higher than it was last year.

Last October, when the state's energy office started posting weekly prices for the fall heating season, No. 2 oil cost $2.69 a gallon.

Gov. John Baldacci offered his short-term solutions last week by unveiling a $12.5 million boost to existing aid programs. The plan will allow those eligible for low-income heating assistance to get $500 to pay for oil this winter -- up from $415.

To be eligible, the elderly must have income less than $1,983 a month for a household of two. For others, the income threshold for a family of two is $1,750 a month.

"Half of the people we serve in (the heating assistance program) are elderly," Merrill said. "Their average income is $11,000 a year."

The governor's plan also puts additional money toward winterizing homes, which is estimated to help homeowners save 20 percent on heating costs.

But lawmakers questioned the scope of some of the suggestions Wednesday, saying they fall far short of the need.

Rep. Bruce MacDonald, D-Boothbay, questioned a proposal to put out 2,000 winterization kits.

"That strikes me as really modest," he said. "That's not enough. We need to do a whole lot more. What's stopping us from getting out 50,000?"

Also, he said there's a need to quickly train more energy auditors and to lower the requirements needed to attain that title.

"We need lower-end energy auditors -- a lot of them," he said.

John Kerry, director of the Office of Energy Independence and Security, said there's a major effort under way to help homeowners learn how to do "do-it-yourself" energy audits. Videos and brochures are being prepared and are part of many efforts that will begin Sept. 20.

"This is an unprecedented time in our history," Kerry said. "It will be very difficult to judge how the working poor will handle it."

Sen. Doug Smith, R-Dover-Foxcroft, asked specific questions to try to determine just how many people will need help this winter.

"Do we know how many homes are in need of weatherization?" he asked.

Kerry said he estimates 80 percent of the 477,000 homes in Maine would benefit from weatherization. He said that even many new homes are not built to energy-efficient standards.

Sen. John Martin, D-Eagle Lake, questioned whether the state should ease up on regulations against venting a furnace and wood stove through the same chimney flue.

"There's no logic to needing a second flue if you're only using one at a time," he said.

However, Assistant State Fire Marshal Joseph Thomas said the national fire protection code calls for separate flues. He said carbon monoxide and other heating byproducts could be sent back into the house if there is a shared flue.

"It is a dangerous situation," he said.

Also, Martin said he'd like municipalities to be more cooperative when people come in to apply for assistance. He said he's heard of some towns that refuse to process applications.

"It's difficult enough for people in stress to go file an application, much less being told, 'we don't have any money for you'," he said, noting that applications should be accepted without comment.

Susan Cover -- 623-1056

scover@centralmaine.com

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