City aims to boost heat relief program

Central Missouri has yet to see its first snowy day of the season, and the Columbia Public Works Department has yet to cast a grain of salt or cinders on Columbia streets.

Yet the Water and Light Department is already thinking about the dangers of next summer’s heat.

The city is assessing the success of last year’s Window Air Conditioner Exchange Program and planning to expand it in 2007.

In a partnership with Central Missouri Community Action, an organization dedicated to eradicating poverty in eight mid-Missouri counties, the city bought 100 one-room, high-efficiency air conditioners to trade for older, less-efficient units. The program was designed to help low-income residents — especially the elderly, people with disabilities and families with small children — lower their summer energy bills.

Adam Tipton, community services manager for CMCA in Boone County, said many of the units people traded in last summer were in very poor condition; “some were over 20 years old.” Residents were given new and more efficient Energy Star-rated units.

Tipton said that of the 100 units the city secured, 56 went to residents in need. Tipton and Water and Light spokeswoman Connie Kacprowicz both said that during the first year of the program, the working partners corrected many logistical problems. The lessons of last summer will make next year’s program more successful, Tipton said.

One lesson learned is to make people aware of the program earlier.

Last year’s effort was slow to get residents into CMCA’s office for the exchange, Tipton said.

While eligible residents received letters in the mail, interest didn’t pick up until after reports showing customers carrying their new units out of CMCA’s office aired on television. That prompted CMCA to extend the program past its scheduled two-day event.

An earlier start next year, coupled with the awareness that emerged this year, should mean that the city and CMCA can reach more people.

“I would love to hit the 100 mark next year,” Tipton said.

The exchange is one of several projects in which the city and CMCA unite to help low-income residents increase energy-efficiency.

In October, Tipton joined with the city, county and other social service organizations such as AARP to hold a “Winterization Forum” to educate residents on how to protect themselves and their homes from the cold.

“With energy costs going up,” Kacprowicz said, “low-income residents are getting hit hard.”

Water and Light also provides free energy audits to help residents learn how to increase energy efficiency, Kacprowicz said.

“Lowering energy bills saves money for other expenses.”