Increasing Energy Efficiencies in Exeter’s Manufactured Housing Parks
Exeter, NH - November 7th, 2023: On October 10th, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced that Exeter was among only 12 projects nationally that were selected for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The program aims to enable state, local, and Tribal governments to improve energy efficiency, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and lower energy use and costs. The Town has requested $200,000 to assist with energy efficient retrofits for low-income households in our 4 resident-owned manufactured housing parks.
Watch Exeter TV's coverage of Senator Jean Shaheen's visit to celebrate Exeter's selection.
According to the Department of Justice’s mapping tool, Exeter ranks second in the State of New Hampshire for the largest number of manufactured houses per square mile, with 1,100 units across five separate parks. Residents in Exeter experience a higher than average energy burden meaning their home energy demands require a greater percentage of their income than the average homeowner. This high energy burden places people between a rock and a hard place, desperate to save on energy costs, but unable to afford retrofits that improve their home’s energy efficiency.
The Town has partnered with Unitil, Resident Owned Communities of NH (ROC-NH), and Resilient Buildings Group to offer weatherization clinics, home energy audits and installation of energy efficient measures designed to deliver the greatest energy savings using a combination of funds from the EECBG program and the NHSaves weatherization program. Together this work could provide up to $17,000 in in energy efficient upgrades for 100 income-qualified residents in Exeter’s resident owned manufactured housing communities, at no cost to them.
Kristen Murphy, the Town’s Conservation and Sustainability Planner, and Renay Allen, Chair of the Exeter Energy Committee led the grant effort. Kristen is very excited about getting the program up and running, “What’s most exciting about the project is that these energy efficiency improvements will provide not only a cost savings to residents but have the added benefit of increasing the number of energy efficient homes in Exeter and decreasing our community’s carbon footprint. These small steps are helping to move Exeter toward a clean, more equitable energy future.”
The Federal Department of Energy will work with the Town through pre-award negotiations which can be expected to take approximately 60-90 days. Once complete, the funding will be allocated. The Town and our partners will be ready to launch this project and engage with these communities as soon as funding is awarded. Those interested in staying up to date on the project as it develops and gets ready for launch should stay tuned to the Town website and sign up for the Town’s e-newsletter to get updates emailed straight to your inbox.
