Minnesotans Struggle to Heat Mobile Homes in Cold Weather
clean energy Resource Teams Co-Director Joel Haskard and Event Programming & Seed Grant Manager Maggie Kozak at an event in Hermantown, Minn., to educate local residents on weatherization.
Courtesy of Shaylyn Bernhardt
Affordable Housing, Expensive Heating
Tens of thousands of Minnesotans are bracing for the cold weather in thin-walled, poorly insulated mobile homes. And when temperatures dip, they’ll spend an outsized portion of their income on heating bills as a result.
The Energy Burden
Manufactured homes are one of the few options for affordable housing, but they aren’t affordable to heat. Most Minnesotans pay somewhere between three to six percent of their net income on energy bills, with 6 percent being considered “energy burdened.” For those living in mobile homes, this burden is even higher.
Joel Haskard, co-director of clean energy Resource Teams (CERTs), which has been working to make these homes more comfortable both financially and physically, explains that half the people living in mobile homes have an annual income of $35,000 or less. Many of them spend a significant portion of their monthly costs on energy, making difficult decisions between paying their energy bills, buying food, or affording necessary medicine.
Help is on the Way
CERTs helps connect people and organizations to resources that can reduce energy costs and save energy. Fortunately, there are new initiatives and programs in place to address this issue. The combination of the Inflation Reduction Act, state investments in green energy, and utility rebates means there are now affordable options for weatherization. Haskard encourages homeowners of all kinds to take advantage of these programs and prepare their homes for the upcoming season.
“I like to call it a layer cake,” Haskard said. “Plan now and do that in the summer of this coming year when all of these things are going to be ready to rock and roll.”
20 Years of Making a Difference
CERTs has been working to make manufactured and other homes across the state more energy-efficient for the past 20 years. Their efforts have helped countless individuals and families save money and live more comfortably. To learn more about their work and how they can assist you, visit their website here.
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Read More of this Story at www.mprnews.org – 2023-11-09 00:43:00
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