Energy/Weatherization Department

Weatherization Program

The MCCAA Weatherization Program started in 1982 and has continued since then to assist low-income households. Many thousands of homes have been made much more comfortable during this timeframe and the utility bills of these dwellings more manageable.

The Energy/Weatherization Department consists of the department manager, assessor/supervisor, weatherization clerk, crew leaders and crew persons. The Low Income Home Energy Program       (LIHEAP) and Department of Energy (DOE) contracts finance weatherization services to low income Merced and Madera County customers. The LIHEAP program runs on a normal calendar year, while        the DOE program runs from July to April of each year. The Department also has a WX Contract with the Turlock Irrigation District.

Weatherization services consist of activities such as installing door weather-stripping, low-flow    showerheads, aerators, caulking, attic insulation, replacing broken glass, minor home repairs, installing       new refrigerators, microwaves, electric and gas water heaters, and compact fluorescent light bulbs or CFL’s.

Currently, Weatherization services are for income-eligible customers only; low income is considered 60% of the state median income adjusted for family size. Emphasis is also placed on serving senior citizens and families with “at risk” members of their household, such as disabled members or families with little children. The program’s goal is to help these families control their energy costs, thereby freeing income for other essential expenditures. Our goal is to help 400 families move to a more self-reliant position each year, eventually solving the home energy-related problems for all these low-income families. A typical household saves $193 a year on energy costs after weatherization is completed.

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

MCCAA also administers the federally funded LIHEAP program in Merced County, in which eligible low-income households can receive once-a-year cash assistance with their energy bill.

LIHEAP has two types of assistance. The Home Assistance Program (HEAP) provides a direct payment to an eligible client’s utility bill to help offset the cost of heating or cooling their home. The Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) provides assistance to low-income households that are in a crisis situation. Examples include a household that has received a 24- or 48-hour disconnect notice or service termination by their utility company or energy-related crisis of life-threatening emergency exists in the applicant’s household.

Any resident of Merced County who meets the income guideline and is responsible for the energy costs in a residence is eligible for the program. Because of significant funding cuts, however, the federal government recently enacted a law requiring states to target households with elderly and disabled persons, and children under six years old. This means that there could be households that received assistance in the past but may no longer receive assistance because they fall into a lower priority group and are not considered among the “neediest of the needy.” Receipt of energy/weatherization assistance depends upon the availability of funds.

Contact Us:
Weatherization Services
1748 Miles Court
Merced. CA 95340
(209) 723-4411

For More Information Please E-Mail, the Director
hr@mercedcaa.org