AMARILLO, Texas (Aug. 4, 2021) – Eveline Rivers-McCoy knows a thing or two about being prepared for extreme temperatures.
Since 1979, her Eveline Rivers Coat Project has provided thousands of Amarillo schoolchildren with winter coats to protect them from the Panhandle’s biting north winds. But when Winter Storm Uri settled in with its subzero temperatures in February, there wasn’t much she could do for one of her families at Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage, a program she founded that provides housing for families of single parents pursuing higher education.
“We had to temporarily vacate one of the homes because our residents couldn’t keep the house warm enough,” she said.
Through Xcel Energy’s Home Energy Services program – a benefit for Xcel Energy’s Texas customers provided at no extra cost – this home and other older properties at Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage have completed an energy efficiency makeover that not only ensures they’ll be ready for whatever extreme the Panhandle throws at them next, but also cheaper to heat and cool from now on.
Located in Amarillo’s Plemons-Eakle Historic District, the charming homes and apartments that make up the Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage complex are long on character but have been short on energy efficiency.
“These homes aren’t unlike many older homes in the area that were built with little to no insulation, making them more costly to heat and cool,” said Bryan Whitson, Xcel Energy’s coordinator of efficiency programs in Texas. “And as these homes have aged, they’re not nearly as airtight has they need to be, especially around doors and windows.”
Xcel Energy’s Home Energy Services addressed these issues at three of the Sunshine Cottage homes along South Madison Street in Amarillo. One of the company’s approved efficiency contractors, EcoEnergy Conservation Group, added insulation, caulked cracks and added weatherstripping around doors and windows. Additionally, lighting in the homes has been converted to LED technology, reducing lighting costs and improving the quality of light inside and out. The project has not only made the homes more comfortable but also is lowering monthly heating and cooling bills.
“We feel like we can do the most good in the historic district because we can serve our families in safe and beautiful surroundings and play a part in preserving a historic neighborhood at the same time,” Rivers-McCoy said. “But it’s been a challenge keeping these older homes comfortable the year around, and it’s put a dent in our funds to cover the extra heating and cooling costs. By participating in Xcel Energy’s efficiency program, we are now able to provide maximum comfort for our families and do more with the money our donors have given us to fulfill our mission.”
Xcel Energy uses approved contractors to guide customers through the process of making their homes more efficient and to verify the potential savings from weatherization and energy-efficient lighting. The efficiency program is funded through a minimal energy efficiency charge all customers pay, so the costs of upgrades contractors provide are at no additional cost to Xcel Energy’s customers, and there is no obligation to purchase additional services.
Customers interested in home efficiency improvements can find information on these efficiency services at www.xcelenergyefficiency.com, including a list of approved contractors who perform the work.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates consumers can save as much as 30% on home energy costs by taking steps to conserve energy and make their homes more energy efficient. These measures can be something as simple and inexpensive as running ceiling fans to better circulate air and adjusting thermostat settings to reduce the number of times heating and air conditioning units cycle on and off. But the real payoff comes with improvements such as additional insulation, energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting. Customers can access additional information on saving energy and money at xcelenergy.com by following the “Residential Services” link at the top of the page.
About Xcel Energy: Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. About Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage: Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides housing, love, and encouragement to homeless and low-income single-parent families; inspiring them to seek an education, two generations at a time, thus moving the whole family off the government system. Families are housed in 10 fully furnished properties in the Plemons-Eakle Historic District southwest of downtown Amarillo.
