Cleco employees, armed with caulk guns and weather stripping, help customers stop the air leaks and save money. The Cut-a-Watt team partners with local agencies to educate seniors and others on how to cut energy costs. The team also puts in sweat hours by weatherizing these homes. The program has helped Cleco customers in Opelousas, Bunkie, Cheneyville, Mansura, Deville, Rosepine, Franklin and Covington.

Need help weatherizing your home? Contact your parish Community Action Agency to see if you qualify.
 

An Energy Smart Home Makeover!

Cleco partners with Avoyelles Progress Action Committee to help make customer’s
home ‘energy smart’
 

PINEVILLE, La, June 12, 2009 – A group of Cleco employee volunteers recently joined forces with the Avoyelles Progress Action Committee (APAC) and local contractors to give Hessmer resident Bernadine Laborde’s home an “energy smart” makeover.

“I'm so grateful for the work they’ve done,” said Laborde.  “And I'm looking forward to lower utility bills.”

Laborde’s home is one of many being weatherized through the federal and state funded Weatherization Assistance Program administered by APAC.

The three groups met at Laborde’s home on Wednesday, June 10, with tools and other equipment to make Laborde’s home more energy efficient, as well as safe.

Work included caulking, weather-stripping, installing insulation, installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replacing conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.  They also replaced Laborde’s existing gas water heater with an energy efficient electric water heater through Cleco’s electric water heater program and installed a water heater blanket around the new water heater.

“This is one of the ways Cleco is educating its customers on how they can lower their bills,” said Roxane Barnes, Cleco’s director of community affairs.  “By partnering with others, we can show customers how to weatherize their home, become energy smart and save money.”

According to Brenda Wilmer, executive director of APAC, the agency anticipates completing work on as many as 36 homes this year and may be able to double that number next year with the help of federal stimulus dollars.