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Special to The Signal

Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded grants totaling $2.6 million to assist low-income and elderly Alabama residents with weatherizing their homes to lower energy costs, including $241,468 to the Organized Community Action Program that helps people in Lowndes, Crenshaw and Butler counties.

The grants support Alabama’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides funds to improve the energy efficiency and safety of qualifying homes. Priority is given to people with disabilities, the elderly and low-income households with children.

“Older and disabled residents living on limited incomes can struggle to pay high utility bills,” Ivey said. “These grants will assist in lowering energy bills for many by upgrading their homes to keep them cool during the hot summer months.”

An energy audit is conducted of each home that qualifies for weatherization assistance to determine the most cost-efficient measures.

Common improvements include installing extra insulation in the attic, walls and floor; sealing air leaks around doors and windows; repairs or tune-ups for air conditioning and heating units; and replacing incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency bulbs.

In addition to lowering energy bills, the improvements can reduce the risk of fire and other hazards.

Ivey awarded the grants to 14 community agencies across the state that manage the program at the local level and receive applications from individuals who wish to be considered for assistance.

This funding comes in addition to $1.9 million in grants awarded by Ivey in April for the Weatherization Assistance Program.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Energy.

  “ADECA joins Gov. Ivey in her commitment to helping those who need it most during the hottest months of the year,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said. “ADECA’s partnerships with Alabama’s community agencies ensures that many elderly, disabled and underserved residents receive help in preparing their homes for these warmer months now and for years to come.”

Below is a list of each grant, the recipient agency, counties served and the agency telephone number:

l $265,810 to Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (Autauga, Chilton, Dallas, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Perry, Russell and Shelby) 334-262-4300

l $62,210 to Community Action Committee Inc. of Chambers-Tallapoosa-Coosa (Chambers, Coosa and Tallapoosa) 256-825-4287

l $52,304 to Alabama Council on Human Relations Inc (Lee) 334-821-8336

l $172,152 to Community Action Partnership of Huntsville-Madison and Limestone Counties, Inc. (Madison and Limestone) 256-851-9800

l $343,468 to Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity (Jefferson) 205-327-7500

l $250,539 to Mobile Community Action Inc. (Choctaw, Mobile and Washington) 251-457-5700

l $153,658 to Montgomery County Commission (Montgomery) 334-832-1210

l $198,391 to Community Action Partnership of North Alabama Inc. (Cullman, Lawrence, Marion, Morgan, Walker and Winston) 256-355-7843

l $269,162 to Community Action Agency of Northeast Alabama Inc. (Blount, Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, Marshall and St. Clair) 256-638-4430

l $99,598 to Community Action Agency of Northwest Alabama Inc. (Colbert, Franklin and Lauderdale) 256-766-4330

l $241,468 to Organized Community Action Program Inc. (Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes and Pike) 334-566-1712

l $179,078 to Community Action Agency of South Alabama (Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Marengo, Monroe and Wilcox) 251-626-2646

l $165,241 to Community Action Agency of Talladega, Clay, Randolph, Calhoun and Cleburne (Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Randolph and Talladega) 256-362-6611

l $195,122 to Community Service Programs of West Alabama Inc. (Bibb, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Pickens, Sumter and Tuscaloosa) 205-752-5429