LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Each year, hundreds of homes get a kind of energy makeover from HELP of Southern Nevada.
"We came out here, we did an energy audit on the home," said Chris Moore, an energy auditor for HELP. "We found out he needed certain things. Especially an air conditioning system."
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Moore takes his clients through a comprehensive process that involves analyzing gas and power bills, inspecting ducts, windows, insulation and the roof. He even does a pressurization test to see how much air the home is leaking. All to identify energy inefficiencies like the air conditioning unit a Boulder City client had from the 1970s.
"We upgraded him to a Rheem air conditioning system with the new 95 percent heating elements inside his house," Moore said. "That's going to save him quite a lot of money just on that."
But that was far from all they did. To help the new air conditioner do its job, they added solar screens to the client's windows.
"In the summertime, it gets over 100 degrees just on the window so we block off the heat, add duct sealing measures, a nice roof coating. We can save the client a lot of money right then and there," Moore said.
And that's the goal - to save low-income residents money on their bills. The weatherization program has been so efficient in its mission that it has been nationally recognized by the United States Department of Energy and received the Governor's Initiative Energy Award. The awards are nice but HELP staff says the reaction of the client is what means the most.
"Just to see them get that relief, like 'oh my gosh, there is actually help out there.' Instead of them going, 'what do I do? Who do I talk to? Where am I going to get this money from? It's a really good feeling to help those in need," said Maria Jensen, an eligibility specialist for HELP.
And helping those in need is what HELP is all about.
13 Days and Knights of Giving is sponsored by the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation.
