HOULTON, Maine — A Houlton couple has become the first in Aroostook County to take advantage of a low interest loan program aimed at improving energy efficiency in homes.
Ken and Kristie Spittle were looking for a way to increase the warmth in the living room of their Lincoln Street home.
“I was doing some research online when I came across this program,” Ken said. “Previously, we never qualified for any loans for energy improvement programs.”
The Spittles were looking to renovate their 420-square foot living room, which previously had been a wrap-around porch. Because it had been a porch, the walls were not properly insulated and the windows were single-pane glass.
“We did this project six years ago, back when fuel oil was really cheap,” Kristie said.
“In order to stay warm in the winter, you practically had to stand in front of the pellet stove,” Ken added. “And we were probably burning two or three bags of pellets a day just to heat the room.”
The Spittles’ renovation project involved removing many of the windows, framing up new walls, insulating the walls, and installing new energy efficient windows.
“In Houlton, there are not a lot of brand-new homes,” Kristie said. “So a lot of the homes suffer from the same problem we had of poor insulation. With a loan program like this, a lot of people can now afford to make improvements to their homes.”
The PACE program is a partnership between municipalities and Efficiency Maine to provide home energy improvement financing for residents. Through Efficiency Maine’s financing, residents are able to secure low-interest loans with no closing costs, provided they follow the guidelines set forth by the program. A PACE loan can be used to weatherize a home, purchase a new heating system, or make other improvements to lower their energy bills. Approved applicants can receive up to $25,000 for this purpose with 4.99 percent financing and no closing fees.
According to the Efficiency Maine website, to qualify for the loan a customer’s property must be located in a municipality that has adopted a PACE ordinance. Efficiency Maine home energy loans require no money down, no processing fees and can be spread out up to 15 years.
The Spittles are the first couple in Houlton to take advantage of the program.
For those who are interested in the loan program, the first step is to hire a participating energy advisor to come to the home for an energy audit. There are three companies in Aroostook County — Buildings Etc of Houlton, Dead River Company of Presque Isle and Hole In Your Bucket Audits of Fort Kent — who are certified with the PACE program
Lanny Sherman of Buildings Etc. was contracted by the Spittles to perform an energy audit on their home. The energy audit involves a visual inspection of the home followed by a “blower door” test to check the air tightness of the home, followed by a thermal imaging scan of the property.
“A lot of people are afraid of an energy audit, because I think the word ‘audit’ scares them.” Sherman said. “What the audit does though is show you where your deficiencies are, so that you know what the most cost effective way is to put money into your home. Without an audit, you may throw money into new windows or insulation, but you may not be fixing what the real problem is.”
After the energy audit is completed, a registered vendor from Efficiency Maine’s list must be hired to conduct the work. There are two registered vendors in Aroostook County, Buildings Etc. and Ouellette Heating of Van Buren.
One of the caveats of the loan is that the renovations must save at least 20 percent in energy costs for the home. The cost of the audit is factored into the loan. The Spittles said the paperwork for the loan was an easy process, with a representative coming to their home.
“The whole process was so easy,” Kristie said. “It’s going to pay for itself.”
For more information on the PACE program, contact the Houlton Town Office at 532-7111 or visit www.effficiencymaine .com/pace.