NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With all the recent cold weather, your electric bill may be far more than you'd like this month.
Xaviera Washington's townhouse in Nashville came into her life at the perfect time.
"My daughter, I had her later in life, so this was one of the first homes I purchased and lived in for myself and my daughter," said Xaviera Washington, a Home Upliftrecipient.
While the home looked impeccable when she bought it, some of its inner workings needed a serious upgrade.
“It would stay cold in here, hot in the bedrooms upstairs, so I couldn't regulate the temperature in the home,” Washington said.
So she got a new HVAC, attic insulation, carbon monoxide monitors, and more, but she didn't have to pay for any of it.
Washington is part of theHome Uplift program offered by Nashville Electric Service.
The program pays for people with limited income to make upgrades to their homes to make them more energy efficient.
Some of the funding comes from NES's Power of Change Program, which rounds up people's electric bills to the nearest dollar.
“So if you have a $97.75 bill, we'll add a quarter to that and make it a $98 bill, and those funds go to help uplift people's homes,” said Brent Baker, vice president, chief customer, and innovation officer for Nashville Electric Service.
Customers are automatically enrolled in the program but can opt-out
According to Baker, NES and Tennessee Valley Authority also put money in to pay for Home Uplifts like Washington's.
About 1500 homes have received upgrades, to qualify there is an income maximum for those who use it.
The changes need to make the home more energy efficient.
“If we all manage our energy more effectively, then the affordability that we all experience is better across the service territory,” Baker said.
Washington said she's seen her bill drop from its average of $150 before the changes.
“Now my bill is down about to $95 to $100," Washington said.
If you're interested in joining the Home Uplift program, NES is holding information sessions at 9:00 a.m. at their facility at 1214 Church Street on January 16 and 30, and February 13 and 27.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at robb.coles@newschannel5.com.
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