03 January 2006

Sebelius aims to lower Kansans’ heating bills
WARM Kansas to help families save on energy by insulating homes

Kansas families who need help lowering their heating bills will have a new place to turn for assistance if Governor Kathleen Sebelius has her way.

The Governor today announced WARM Kansas, which aims to help Kansas families better insulate their homes and save on energy costs.

“I’ve heard from many Kansans who want to save money on heat, but they can’t afford to insulate their homes and pay their heating bills at the same time,” said Sebelius. “WARM Kansas would help these families insulate their homes and get their heating bills down.”

As part of WARM Kansas homes would be fitted with insulation, and would have doors and windows caulked and sealed to reduce drafts. Furnaces would also receive maintenance to ensure both safety and fuel efficiency.

Governor Sebelius said the improvements covered under WARM Kansas could reduce home heating costs by up to 20 percent.

“There are a few simple ways to reduce heating costs. Adding attic insulation can save up to 5 percent a month, for example,” said Sebelius. “Helping Kansans conserve energy saves money, and it makes us less vulnerable to price spikes like we’ve seen recently with natural gas.”

The Governor also said there were at least one thousand Kansas families on a waiting list for help from the federal government, with wait times stretching up to three years. She said even more Kansans were eligible for help beyond those on the waiting list.

“Every month that goes by, more of their money literally goes out the window. I want to step in and help Kansas families lower their energy bills,” said Sebelius. The Governor said more than 2,000 homes could be weatherized as a result of WARM Kansas.

The initiative would provide both grants and loans to Kansas families. Two million dollars would be made available through local lenders via a revolving loan program for families with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area median income. Another $2 million in grants averaging $2,800 per home would be available to families with incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median income.

WARM (Weatherization Assistance, Retrofitting and Maintenance) Kansas will be included in Governor Sebelius’ FY 2007 budget, which will be presented to the Legislature next week. The initiative would be funded by using a portion of higher than expected oil and gas severance tax receipts from producers – receipts that have increased as a result of the same higher fuel prices that are driving up heating bills.

The Governor’s budget also proposes devoting $1 million of these taxes to help more Kansas families through the federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.