By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — October is Energy Awareness Month. Julia Westfahl with SCKEDD explains their weatherization program.
"For those approved applicants, we weatherize their homes by doing air sealing insulation," Westfahl said. "We also address furnace replacements, if it's either for efficiency or for health and safety. We also do look at their AC units. They're not always approved, but we do look at that, as well and then we address any health and safety issues like venting of hot water tanks."
They'll also help with CO detector and smoke detector installation, if needed.
"They can go to our website to download the application, or they can call in and request an application and we will mail it to them, (620) 259-6544," Westfahl said. "Once they fill out their application and submit it back in, we process it and get them moved to our waitlist to get them assessed. We send an inspector out to do an assessment to see if the house is viable for weatherization and during that audit time, they take all the information and run it through an audit program that tells us what we are able to do to a home."
The office is closed Monday for Columbus Day, but next week, starting October 18th, they'll be offering weatherization kits, thanks to Kansas Gas Service.
"They're going to be bringing us 100 weatherization kits that will be free to the public," Westfahl said. "They don't have to qualify for a program. They're going to have things like a door sweep, a weatherstrip kit, as well as plastic for the windows. Come in to our office here in Hutchinson and then pick up one of those kits for free. At that time, we would obviously talk to them about the weatherization program, as well."
If you'd prefer to email with questions, you can do so at [email protected].