In 2014, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the Baltimore Energy Initiative (BEI). BEI is a three year, $52 million dollar program to assist residents and businesses in lowering their energy bills. The Baltimore Energy Initiative expands and streamlines existing energy conservation programs, education and outreach, residential energy savings equipment installation, and energy and weatherization assistance. Trees will also be planted and cool roofs will be installed in targeted neighborhoods, both of which reduce hot summer temperatures.
This program helps preserve homeownership, promote economic development, reduce health costs and provide long-term savings, while supporting a strong and growing future for Baltimore.
An investment in energy efficiency results in affordable comfort, and new equipment that will pay for itself over time with realized energy savings. Strategic energy efficiency investments are your hedge against the certainty of higher utility bills in the future.
Baltimore Energy Initiative Loan Program
The Office of Sustainable Energy and its partners, Healthy Neighborhoods Inc. and The Reinvestment Fund, are offering low-interest loans to make your buildings more energy efficient. We’ll help you boost your bottom line by financing energy upgrades such as improving lighting efficiency, replacing old “energy hog” boilers, hot water heaters and HVAC equipment, or converting to efficient kitchen appliances.
To find out more about the low-interest energy efficiency loans and how to apply visit: http://www.energyloansbei.org
Energy Assistance
The City’s Energy Assistance Office utilizes 5 Community Action Centers across Baltimore to serve 17,000 energy assistance customers per year. As part of the Mayor’s Office of Human Services Community Action Partnership, these centers coordinate benefits, financial programming, and other human services to encourage self-sufficiency. If you or someone you know is in need of assistance to pay utility bills, please visit one of our Community Action Centers today to find out how we can help.
Community Action Centers:
Southeast CAC: 3411 Bank Street
Eastern CAC: 1731 E. Chase Street
Northwest CAC: 3939 Reisterstown Rd
Southern CAC: 606 Cherry Hill Road
Northern CAC: 5225 York Road
Baltimore City Weatherization Services
For income-eligible families, the Baltimore Housing Residential Energy Home Improvement program delivers federal and state EmPower Maryland weatherization services and new BEI funded services for roofing, heating systems and healthy home improvements. BEI will fund oil-to-natural gas heating system conversions for moderate income families. Loan programs are available for energy efficiency and housing rehab. Online applications are preferred and referrals from Community Action Centers are given priority. For more info and to see if you qualify: 443-984-1066 or Nicole.Hart@BaltimoreCity.gov.
Tree Baltimore
Trees lower air temperatures and can reduce residential energy cost by 15-35%. All of the city’s tree plantings are coordinated through TreeBaltimore. Trees provide benefits to an urban system by saving energy, improving health, reducing rain-water runoff, providing aesthetic value, and strengthening communities. In partnership with city agencies and NGOs, TreeBaltimore targets planting efforts in neighborhoods with low canopy cover and high heat island effects.