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News Release — Button Up Vermont

Oct. 5, 2018

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Stephanie Gomory

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Partners rally to ‘Button Up Vermont’

Campaign seeks to weatherize 5,000 homes in support of state goal

October 5, 2018 — Williston, VT — A coalition of Vermont organizations joined Congressman Peter Welch today to officially kick off the 2018 Button Up Vermont campaign, designed to inspire Vermonters to take steps to make their homes more comfortable and more affordable in preparation for the winter heating season.

While the Button Up Vermont campaign will feature statewide promotion through social media and other channels, the effort will rely heavily on local community partners to motivate their neighbors and connect them with the tools and resources that make preparing for winter easy and affordable. To help engage with Vermonters at the neighborhood level, Front Porch Form has joined Button Up Vermont as the campaign’s official community partner.

Engagement at the local level in the absence of federal leadership was a key theme for Congressman Welch, who addressed an audience of clean energy stakeholders to help officially launch this year’s campaign.

“Investing in energy efficiency saves money, creates jobs, and improves the environment,” said Congressman Peter Welch. “I’m proud to support Button Up Vermont, and I encourage all Vermonters to invest in their home’s thermal efficiency before winter arrives. Together, we can save money on energy bills and reduce harmful carbon emissions.”

“Whether you are motivated by fighting climate change or you simply want to save money on your energy bills, making your home more efficient makes so much sense,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “By ‘buttoning-up’ homes, Vermonters are helping move toward a clean energy future, as the cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy we never use. And weatherization can also make your home a lot more comfortable, too. Really, it’s a win-win-win proposition.”

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Vermont has a statewide goal of achieving 25 percent energy savings in at least 80,000 homes by the year 2020. Button Up Vermont’s goal is to make at least 5,000 Vermont homes warmer and less expensive to heat by the end of this year.

To help achieve this necessary but ambitious goal, this year’s Button Up Vermont effort is even more deeply focused on engaging communities and local energy leaders. The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), organizer of the Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network (VECAN) – the state’s umbrella of support organizations and 120+ all-volunteer town energy committee leaders – is one of the founding partners of this increasingly diverse partnership on energy efficiency.

This year’s Button Up Vermont program is in part built off the successful Weatherize Upper Valley program deployed by VECAN partner Vital Communities in the last couple of years.

“The success of Weatherize Upper Valley was in a large part because of the leadership and volunteer commitment of Vermont’s energy committees,” said Sarah Brock, energy program director at Vital Communities, the White River Junction-based nonprofit. “These groups are a powerful ally in working toward Vermont’s state energy goals and highly effective in raising awareness for and building trust in state programs, as well as assisting residents through the process of taking action.”

“I’m glad to move Vermont one home closer to its goal for energy conservation, and I’m looking forward to burning fewer fossil fuels this winter,” said homeowner Myra Boenke, who hosted today’s event at her Williston Home. Boenke completed a comprehensive home energy project with Building Energy earlier this year. “I urge all of my neighbors and fellow Vermonters to commit to doing at least one project that will help keep cold air out, and warm air in this winter. No step is too small.”

Residents in participating Button Up Vermont partner communitiescan look forward to informational workshops and community events, where they can get weatherization tips and advice from professionals and receive free energy efficiency products materials to help button up their homes.

Interest in energy- and money-saving opportunities is growing – as is the number of partners in the Button Up Vermont campaign. Recently, the Energy Co-op of Vermont joined on as a Button Up Vermont partner.

“The Energy Co-op of Vermont is proud to support the Button Up Vermont effort. As a Cooperative Energy Company our mission is to ensure our member’s homes are comfortable and energy efficient,” said Brian Gray, manager of the Energy Co-op of Vermont. “We develop and provide a path for our members to reduce their energy consumption and transition to renewables. The goals of Button up Vermont and the Energy Co-op are perfectly matched and make a for a great partnership.”

Free Home Energy Visits

New this year, residents in any of 19 participating communitieswill be able to sign up for free home energy walkthroughs by professional contractors. The approach expands last year’s successful “Weatherize Upper Valley” led by Vital Communities. Eligible residents will be able to sign up online for assessments beginning Oct. 1. After performing a walk-through visit of a customer’s home, contractors will provide them with a proposed project scope, estimated savings, and estimated cost for completing the work to make their homes more comfortable and cheaper to heat. If residents choose to move forward, the contractor will help them access incentives that may be available from energy efficiency utilities, distribution utilities, and other programs that can help lower upfront costs.

“Efficiency Vermont is excited to have several new partners sign on and infuse the campaign with new energy, said Abby White, director of marketing, communications, and public affairs. “It coincides with the launch of our new $100 do-it-yourself weatherization rebate in time to help more families button up their homes this winter. Many of our neighbors are not ready to tackle a full energy retrofit, but they are more than ready to roll up their sleeves to keep their families warm and comfortable.”

Programs, incentives, and resources are available statewide from Button Up Vermont partners. Visit buttonupvermont.orgfor more information and to get started on your own Button Up Vermont project. Support for do-it-yourselfers is available through Efficiency Vermont for this year’s campaign.