Written on: September 27, 2022 by ICM
When Brenda Haymer moved into her Helena, AR home some 22 years ago, it had the same HVAC unit she’s used all these years—up until this week, when she received a new one through a grant program administered in part by Delta Community Development and Law Center Inc. for Entergy Arkansas.
Brenda Haymer
“They’re putting me an HVAC unit in,” the homeowner said with a broad smile, “and I’m just grateful for you all.”
The upgraded HVAC unit replacement for Haymer is one of 10 home improvement projects across the State through several nonprofit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Mississippi County Arkansas Economic Opportunity Commission, and Better Community Development with Entergy Arkansas trade allies. Qualified customers are receiving products and services to improve their home’s energy efficiency, which range from HVAC and window replacements to new floor insulation and roof repair.
It was a hot, busy morning for the four-man crew that took out the older unit at Haymer’s home to replace it with a more modern, energy efficient model that was the right size to effectively heat and cool her home, which should in turn help her control her energy usage and costs.
“I don’t know how old the HVAC unit is because it’s been here since I moved in, but it hasn’t worked right in a long time,” she continued. “My unit wouldn’t stay on; it’d run for a few minutes then go off. It’d be cold in the house most of the time (in the winter) … It didn’t work at all this summer, so I had window units put in. My utility bill was $333 for last month and over $300 this month, and I’m hoping this will make a big difference.”
Her home is a large, older one-story house with four bedrooms, two baths, living area, and kitchen with a separate dining room. She recently replaced her windows with newer, double-paned and insulated models, which will help the heating and air unit work more efficiently.
“The old system was outdated and too big, and the heating wasn’t working at all. This new one will be more energy efficient, and she’ll see a difference when she gets her first light bill,” said David Green of Green’s Heating and Air.
This summer has reached record-breaking temperatures, often resulting in higher electricity usage and therefore costs. To help, Entergy Arkansas is implementing a series of measures for residential customers and communities through the high usage summer months, including credit for late fees; credit card payment fee credit; free energy efficiency and weatherization audits, as well as energy efficiency kits.
Entergy shareholders are providing an additional $1.8 million in donations this year to help customers. This includes donations to nonprofits who provide customer assistance, bill credits to qualified customers and other efforts to help customers make ends meet. Here are ways customers can get help:
Entergy Arkansas also has several free or low-cost programs available through Home Energy Solutions for residential customers to make their home more energy efficient (www.entergyarkansas.com/entergysolutions for more information), discounted energy-efficient products (https://www.entergysolutionsar-marketplace.com/entergyarkansas/), and bill management tools (PaperFree billing, AutoPay, Pick-A-Day and Level Billing).
By Brandi Hinkle, Senior Communications Specialist, Entergy
Source: https://www.entergynewsroom.com/article/new-smaller-hvac-unit-more-efficient-for-bigger-home/
