This winter may be a little warmer for some Cooke County residents thanks to a Texoma Council of Governments (TCoG) grant to provide weatherization funds for qualifying homes.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has made $326.9 million of stimulus funds available through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) to award to agencies throughout the state of Texas.

TCOG is slated to receive a total of $5.8 million of stimulus monies to be received in 2 installments of $2.9 million.

“This funding will dramatically expand the existing TCOG Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) budget from $1.4 to $7.3 million. The TCOG WAP currently serves clients across 15 counties including TCoG’s tri-county region of Cooke, Grayson and Fannin plus 12 additional Northeast Texas counties,” said Weatherization Program Manager Mark Bullard.

The TCOG’s weatherization program is designed to help residents heat and cool their homes more efficiently.

It does not provide home repair, Bullard noted.

“Our goal is to reduce air infiltration and increase the thermal boundary (through the use of) insulation to allow the home to heat and cool more efficiently. We add insulation to walls and attics. We repair and replace heating and air conditioning units,” he said.

The program has not changed, said Weatherization Assistance Program Manager Mark Bullard.

What has changed is the number of families the program can reach.

Typically WAP is able to serve families whose income is 125 % of federal poverty guidelines. Under the Recovery Act, the income limit for eligibility increases to 200 % of federal poverty guidelines which will greatly enhance TCOG’s ability to reach those in need. TCOG estimates WAP will serve an additional seven hundred homes as a result of the increase in funding and expansion of eligibility limits.

That means a family made up of one individual with a gross income of up to $21,660 can qualify for the program.

A family of four with a gross income as high as $44,100 can also qualify, he said.

“Up until recently, we could only help people whose incomes were 125% above the poverty level,” Bullard added.

The agency has signed eight general contractors to complete the weatherization projects which are designed to help qualifying residents gain control of their heating and cooling bills.

WAP is designed to help low to moderate income clients control their energy costs through the installation of weatherization applications and consumer education. Income eligible households in need of weatherization applications spend 12.2 percent of their income on home energy costs as compared to a weatherized home energy cost of 3.7 percent. Clients assisted through WAP consistently see a 20 to 40 percent reduction in energy costs.

The program is on track and the agency is accepting applications for weatherization assistance, he said.

“Our contractors are already trained and in place. They’re busy,” Bullard said.

The weatherization program is also about client education, he noted.

“If clients will work hard on learning to keep thermostats set (properly) it also reduces their bills. That often decreases the client’s need for other forms of assistance,” he said. “This extraordinary opportunity will make an enormous difference in the everyday lives of hundreds of families in North Texas,” said Dr. Susan Thomas, TCOG Executive Director. “These proven weatherization applications will lower energy consumption, create healthier surroundings, and reduce the state’s overall demand for energy. At the same time, these funds will create jobs and provide an infusion of cash to stimulate our local economies.”

For application information, call (903)813-3526 or www.texoma.cog.tx.us.