Ms. Danzio is a first-time mobile homeowner in Harford County. “When I got my home I was really excited,” she said, “But it was also really expensive. I had a problem with my electric bill being sky high, and when I became pregnant the bills only got higher.” Seeking a solution to permanently lower her energy bills, Ms. Danzio reached out to Habitat for Humanity, which referred her to Civic Works’ Energy Programs.
Civic Works assigned Ms. Danzio an Energy Advisor and quickly scheduled an energy audit for her home. During the energy audit, Civic Works provided free LED light bulbs, advanced power strips, pipe insulation, and faucet aerators. The team also created a work scope for deeper energy efficiency measures, including a heat pump hybrid hot water heater to replace Ms. Danzio’s 10-year old model. “I’m a single mom trying to keep everything together, so it was awesome when [Civic Works] said the program would replace the hot water heater. It took away a lot of stress from me.” Over the next month, the Civic Works team worked with Ms. Danzio to insulate her home and replace her appliances with more energy efficient models.
Post-weatherization, Ms. Danzio quickly noticed the effects of the project. “I’ve already seen a dramatic decrease in my BGE bills,” she said. “I’m saving about $2-3 a day. It’s really helped both me and the state a lot of money, especially in the long run.” Moreover, her water pressure and temperature have both improved: “the hot water just runs and runs and runs,” she laughed.
“[Civic Works] has been extremely helpful,” Ms. Danzio concluded. “It’s great, especially for folks with a lower income. And the people I worked with were so nice. The installation team came in and didn’t treat us any differently from a paying customer. In the past, I’ve hired people I had to pay money out of pocket for before, and this was amazing. The team did a really good job and didn’t leave a mess behind.”
“I love the program,” Ms. Danzio said. “And overall, this is going to save me a lot of time and money. I won’t have to apply every year to the state for Energy Assistance. And even after I move, it’s nice to think that the next person won’t have to worry as much about energy bills either.”
