MONTGOMERY-Governor Robert Bentley has awarded $1.77 million to help Alabama’s low-income residents cut their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient.
The funds support the Alabama Weatherization Assistance Program, which gives priority consideration to the elderly, those with disabilities and to low-income residents with children. Houses that qualify for assistance are modified to improve both energy efficiency and safety.
To identify the most cost-effective measures for each home, an energy audit is performed. Depending on the results, a home weatherization project may include adding extra insulation to the attic, walls and floors; sealing leaks in ductwork; repairing and tuning heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems; and replacing incandescent lights with highly efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
The funding was provided to the state by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Alabama 
Department of Economic and Community Affairs is distributing the money to 16 regional agencies that provide local management for the weatherization program. Applications for weatherization services should be made to those agencies.
Below is a list of grants awarded, the counties served by each recipient agency and a local telephone number that residents may call to apply for assistance:
- $166,092 to Mobile Community Action Inc. (Mobile, Choctaw and Washington) 251-457-5700
- $113,588 to Community Action Agency of South Alabama Inc. (Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe and Wilcox) 251-626-2646
- $160,649 to Organized Community Action Program Inc (Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes and Pike) 334-566-1712
- $64,859 to Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (Lee, Macon and Russell) 334-262-4300
- $103,228 to Montgomery County Commission (Montgomery) 334-262-4300
- $121,075 to Community Action Agency of Central Alabama Inc. (Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Elmore, Perry and Shelby) 334-567-4361 Ext. 123
- $134,296 to Community Services Program of West Alabama (Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, Tuscaloosa and Sumter) 205-758-4756
- $38,184 to Alabama Council on Human Relations (Lee) 334-821-8336
- $46,486 to Community Action Committee of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa (Chambers, Coosa and Tallapoosa) 256-825-4287
- $214,964 to Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity (Jefferson) 205-327-7550
- $113,961 to Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun and Cleburne Counties (Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun and Cleburne) 256-362-6611
- $53,603 to Community Action of Etowah County Inc. (Etowah) 256-546-9271
- $140,023 Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. (Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Jackson, Marshall and St. Clair) 256-638-4430
- $128,747 to Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. (Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Walker and Winston) 256-355-7843
- $112,465 to Community Action Partnership of Huntsville/Madison and Limestone Counties Inc. (Madison and Limestone) 256-851-9803
- $62,803 to Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. (Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale) 256-766-4330
- MEDIA RELEASE/OFFICE OF ALABAMA GOVERNOR ROBERT BENTLEY
