Saving Money and the Environment

When Jessie Basra heard an elderly Watsonville woman had been without a working stovetop for months, eating mostly sandwiches and microwavable foods, she went to the woman’s home and helped her fill out forms that would get her a new one. But Basra is not a social worker—she works for Central Coast Energy Services, CCES.

A local nonprofit organization working in Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara counties, CCES assists low-income families and individuals to reduce home energy costs and also provides utility payment assistance to those who qualify. Through everything from replacing drafty windows and old appliances, to installing energy-efficient light bulbs and weather stripping, CCES provides the upfront investment in energy efficiency that local low-income families cannot afford. And it does it all at no cost to clients.

“Making a home more energy efficient is not a priority compared to putting food on the table,” said Liz Moreno, CCES marketing and outreach manager.

CCES helps make it easier for people to do both. Increased energy efficiency means lower monthly utility bills. After taking part in the CCES program, the average home’s reduced energy use saves them $416 per year on utility costs. The program helps those in need and the environment at the same time.

“It goes hand in hand, because (low-income households) wouldn’t be able to get these upgrades,” said Moreno. “We’re helping them get a functional refrigerator for health and safety reasons, and reducing their energy consumption at the same time.”

The company is doing this in increasingly large numbers. In 2009, CCES processed more than 11,000 applications for its program and weatherized 946 homes. That jumped to 17,000 applications and 1,644 homes in 2010. Moreno expects 2011’s to be even higher.

Funding to help expand its reach came in part from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ARRA—more commonly referred to as the stimulus. In 2009, CCES received $4 million over two years from ARRA.

“It allowed us to not only weatherize more homes, but we hired people; we trained people," Moreno said. "We do everything in-house so the demand for weatherization created by the ARRA funds, allowed us to hire more people to do the work, process the applications and increase community outreach."

Basra is part of that outreach effort. Hired in 2010, Basra works for CCES as a case worker, making sure that those in the most need do not fall through the cracks or get lost with the growing number of applications. Basra and CCES focus especially on providing help to the elderly.

When applications with missing or incomplete information come in from older individuals, Basra calls and walk them through the process. If needed, she goes out and sees them in person and can move more dire cases up to the front of the line. The result is someone like the women without a working stovetop gets what she needs to take care of herself.

“I actually just got off the phone with her, and she’s cooking now,” said Basra.

To request an application, call 888-728-3637.