If city councilmen need a nudge to approve the city’s participation in energy efficiency upgrades of Iolans who complete homes audits, make a point to give them one.
This is a program, under the Take Charge! Challenge umbrella, that will provide benefits for years to come.
Initially, the state intended to fund upgrades through the Efficiency Kansas Loan Program. Loans would have been repaid through an adjunct charge on utility bills. That money has gone away, leaving potential participants in the lurch.
About 25 Iolans have had audits done and a handful secured loans through the state.
Several more were left with audits either completed or nearly so, but without a source of funding that could be repaid as a part of utility bills, an important part of the program. Payments generally were meant to keep monthly charges at pre-upgrade levels — after improvement lowered actual bills — so that those enrolled theoretically wouldn’t miss the money.
Amy and Curtis Utley are a good example of why the city should fill the void.
In good faith they arranged an audit of their home, found recommendations well worth pursuing and got bids from local companies. Then, they learned state funding wasn’t available.
They and others like them who embraced the program shouldn’t be left wanting.
CITY ADMINISTRATOR Carl Slaugh told council members Monday evening that money could be set aside from Electric Department reserves to make loans, which would be repaid through utility bills.
For example, a customer whose monthly bill dropped, on the average, from $200 to $160 after improvements still would pay $200, with the additional $40 going to retire the loan.
In the long run, the city would be repaid and loan recipients would have homes more energy efficient; all would come away a winner.
While not everyone will be involved in the program — fact is a very small percentage of Iolans will — it is available to anyone and meets whatever test of public good that can be applied.
City government exists to help those governed, and this certainly is a program that can.
— Bob Johnson
