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Friday, March 29, 2024
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

UF ‘sparks’ new energy efficient initiative to reduce utility costs

<p>GRU workers Mark Roc and Ren Gallon work on power lines on Fifth Avenue on Thursday afternoon. "We are replacing everything but the pole," said GRU manager Dwayne Mercer.</p>

GRU workers Mark Roc and Ren Gallon work on power lines on Fifth Avenue on Thursday afternoon. "We are replacing everything but the pole," said GRU manager Dwayne Mercer.

For some, Gainesville Regional Utilities bills may become cheaper.

In August, UF partnered with the Community Weatherization Coalition, a year-long program that gives people access to energy efficient home equipment and appliances to help residents reduce their utility bills, said the coalition’s program director, Alane Humrich.

The UF Office of Sustainability will give $50,000 worth of free installations and adjustments to energy efficient light bulbs, water conserving shower heads and better insulation for pipes for 150 homes this year, Humrich said. The office typically averages assisting 100 homes a year.

“That’s really impactful not just for the community, but for the environment as well,” Humrich said.

The coalition opened 10 years ago and has assisted over 900 houses, Humrich said.

A majority of the houses have poor fixtures or old appliances due to a lack of finances, Humrich said. Each house can save around 6,000 gallons of water and $300 each year after the upgrades, she said.

Anyone can apply for the program, including UF students, but Humrich said the program typically serves the low-income elderly in Gainesville. Around 40 percent of the households it accepts usually have children, she said. 

Volunteers from UF will attend 12-hour training sessions to learn how to help people perform these upgrades, said Matthew Williams, the director of UF Office of Sustainability.

“We’re able to take passion and knowledge and really show a significant difference in our community,” Williams said.

Contact Dana Cassidy at dcassidy@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @danacassidy_

GRU workers Mark Roc and Ren Gallon work on power lines on Fifth Avenue on Thursday afternoon. "We are replacing everything but the pole," said GRU manager Dwayne Mercer.

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