ACAP announces appliance program

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Aroostook County Action Program officials have announced the availability of the Appliance Replacement Program (ARP).
    The Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) established the Appliance Replacement Program to reduce residential electricity costs in low-income households by replacing inefficient and unsafe electrical appliances. This program is funded by electric utility companies and administered by Maine Housing under the oversight of the MPUC. Maine housing has contracted with Maine’s ten Community Action Agencies to deliver the program to low-income households throughout the state.
ACAP is responsible for delivery of this program in Aroostook County and identifies and enrolls qualified households, provides energy conservation education, conducts comprehensive home energy audits, and installs energy-efficient replacement electric appliances based on the results of the energy audits. Appliances that may be installed under this program include: primary refrigerators, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL’s), conventional innerspring mattresses to replace electrically heated waterbeds, and fluorescent floor lamps to replace halogen torchiers. Refrigerators can be replaced only if it is shown, through the energy audit, that a savings of 750 KWH in electricity can be achieved per year. There is no cost for this service and the replacement items are provided at no cost to qualified households. Since this program began in 2004, ACAP has arranged for the installation of 734 Energy Star Rated refrigerators, replaced 5 waterbeds with mattresses and has installed 9,811 CFL’s.
Once a household’s eligibility to participate is verified over the phone, ACAP would schedule a home visit to meter the refrigerator for efficiency, perform the required energy audit and education. These home visits typically last just over two hours and are scheduled between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Interested households should call ACAP at 1-800-432-7881 or 768-3023 Ext 659 or 645 regarding their eligibility and for further information.