I knew I wanted to do some improvements in my 100 year old home, I have been dealing with very high energy bills. so I called Green Madison and got a home assessment before starting work on the many projects I knew I needed to accomplish before winter. The home assessment was very professional, complete with a very detailed report and help from my coordinator has been very helpful. Before you start improvements call them first!

Sandra Daniel, Owner at FIRE Light Group (09/24/2011)

Get assistance to line up an energy inspection from a trained building expert, find approved contractors and even sign up for a low interest loan to cover the costs. This program offers real help for Madison residents to improve comfort and save money in their homes and businesses.

Robert Stoffs, Community Services Manager, Madison Gas and Electric (09/27/2011)

If you haven't looked into it . . . check it out. Excellent staff support and strategic programming.

Troy Thiel, Real Estate at First Weber (09/28/2011)

Jeremiah DeGollon, Governance Council and Finance Committee Member at Badger Rock Middle School (10/07/2011)

A few years ago, I decided to get an evaluation of my home's energy performance. I have three reasons: economy, comfort, but most of all, as a grandmother, I am concerned about the future of this planet. I wanted to do all I could to reduce our energy consumption.

The consultant who did our assessment was very helpful in showing me what improvements were needed and also in determining how these improvements should be prioritized. I began to work through the list, and was able to make some substantial improvements. We saw decreases in our energy usage right away. However, I did not have enough cash available to complete everything. As a person on a fixed income, I did not want to add substantial debt to my home mortgage! This was frustrating, as I was only half way toward my goal!

It was a lucky day for me when a letter cam telling me that funding might be available to complete recommended energy-saving projects. I applied right away. I must say the process was easy, especially because the city staff (Paul Grimyser) was wonderful about answering calls and emails with any questions I had. When I got my bids, I also found help from the "Focus on Energy" consultant (Scott Sailor) to decide about some of the details regarding what work should be done.

"The proof of the pudding is the eating" so they say, and our post test showed we had reduced the hourly air exchanges in this house by a huge factor; I believe it was from a 6 to between a 3 and 4. We have already seen improvements in comfort during this hot summer, as well as lower energy consumption.

Due to the long-term, low-interest loan I received from the Green Madison pilot (REEIP), my family and I will enjoy a better lifestyle for as long as we live in this home. I feel very lucky that this opportunity came my way!

Elizabeth Shirah

Participating in the Green Madison pilot program (REEIP) through the City of Madison Community Development Energy Grant dovetails with that: it allowed me to complete the insulation recommended by the energy audit. This included removal of asbestos used as insulation when the house was build about 70 years ago. Working with Green Madison (Paul Grimyser), the Grant Administrator, was a pleasant experience. Paul was very responsive, organized, and made the process go smoothly. The low interest financing was key in bringing me into the program, without it I would still be planning on having the work done "sometime." The work has made a difference not only in my utility bill but in noise reduction - with new insulation the street sounds are truly muffled.

I am very happy with my decision to participate in this program and commend Paul's handling of it.

Anne Tigan

When we first had our energy assessment done it allowed us to figure out how to prioritize our needs. (It was a quick and easy process that gave us very useful information to decide where our efforts would be valuable in terms of greatest return on the dollars, and it allowed us to assess what we could do ourselves and what we should contract out.)

We were thrilled to be approved for the Green Madison (REEIP) pilot loan initially, and solicited estimates on the insulation projects that were deemed most urgent. The loan coupled with the flexibility of the program coordinators turned out to be a life-saver for us when our inefficient 34 year old how-water boiler died in the coldest part of February 2011. We were allowed to move the replacement of the boiler up our priority list and pay for it with the Green Madison (REEIP) loan after soliciting appropriate estimates on efficient boilers because it was listed as a need on our energy assessment as well. Not only do we have a new boiler that is literally 30% more efficient, but we are still able to do the most critical insulation work with the remainder of the loan.

Thank you City of Madison Green Madison (REEIP) Program!! We will be thanking you again next winter when our lower gas bills start arriving.

Akeem Torres and Helen Klebesadel

Since installing these upgrades, we have seen our utility bills drop and our comfort increase. We no longer have drafty windows that don't close and our house is much more comfortable and attractive than it was.

Simply put, the REEIP (Green Madison) Program allowed us to make these upgrades. Without it, especially the low interest rates, we would not have been able to afford the upgrades. The process was seamless from start to finish, which is a testament to Paul Grimyser and his enthusiasm for this program!

The Kabat's

John, our contactor, stepped up to help. John facilitated the paperwork and scheduled all aspects of the project to get underway quickly. Even before the drywall was repainted he had scheduled the redo on the energy audit (test-out). Mark from Grading Spaces was impressed that the air infiltration in the home was reduced so dramatically with the soy-based foam insulation.

We received the REEIP (Green Madison) funds in time to pay for the project and just a received a considerable rebate from the Focus on Energy people. Now we look forward to reduced energy consumption reflected in lower utility bills!

Nancy B. .