Barbara and Theophilus “Tippy” Brown in their home refurbished by volunteers from Rebuilding Together Baltimore. The couple couldn’t repair the home themselves or afford to hire a contractor. Volunteers from AARP and Rebuilding Together Baltimore plan to refurbish other houses to help elderly residents save on energy costs. Photo by Jonathan Hanson

Summary:
• Making homes more energy efficient can save money and help people remain in their homes longer.
• AARP Maryland and Rebuilding Together are working on a volunteer project to make some low-income elderly's homes energy-efficient.
• Operation Energy Save offers a free tool kit of energy saving advice.

Theophilus and Barbara Brown watched their Baltimore home rot around them. Holes in the roof let in rain and small animals, aging windows were broken, water had weakened the ceiling, lead paint was peeling. Theophilus Brown, 52, known as “Tippy,” suffers from an autoimmune disease and has endured several surgeries, including two on his brain. Barbara Brown, 49, has diabetes. They couldn’t repair the 72-year-old home themselves. Nor could they afford to pay for repairs.

“I was thinking it can’t be safe for him with his immune system like that,” Barbara Brown said. “We were just sitting there watching our house fall down around us. This house was killing us.”

She got on the phone. Dozens of calls later, she found Rebuilding Together Baltimore. The nonprofit organization, now celebrating its 20th year, refurbishes the homes of low-income families—80 percent of them over age 65—at no cost to the owner. These repairs include structural and safety improvements, as well as energy-efficiency measures that reduce utility bills and allow older owners to remain in their homes longer, said Bonnie Bessor, the group’s executive director.

More than a dozen volunteers and unpaid contractors organized by Rebuilding Together Baltimore descended on the Browns’ home for two days in August. Outside, they put on a new roof and painted the exterior. Inside, they weatherized or replaced doors and windows, insulated the water heater and installed water-saving plumbing fixtures.

“When it was finished,” Tippy Brown said, “I just laid down and cried. All of my dreams came true that day.”

Rebuilding Together Baltimore has done similar work on more than 1,000 homes in the city and county since it began in 1989 under the name Christmas in April.

This month, AARP Maryland will join with Rebuilding Together Baltimore to provide energy-efficient improvements in another Baltimore-area home with low-income residents. AARP officials hope the combined effort will grow into a statewide campaign to help older Marylanders remain in their homes longer by making those homes more energy-efficient and less costly to maintain. The campaign will depend heavily on volunteers.

AARP Maryland also encourages people to look out for their older neighbors by helping them make energy-saving improvements. To that end, AARP’s Operation Energy Save offers a free online tool kit. The tool kit emphasizes changes in habits that could save energy at no cost, such as using cold water to wash dishes and clothes, resetting thermostats and repositioning furniture away from heat vents.

“In the long run, we hope to expand Operation Energy Save to create opportunities for people to volunteer around the state,” said Tiffany Lundquist, acting state director of AARP Maryland.

Homeowner interest in energy efficiency increased dramatically after the federal government offered financial incentives in the economic stimulus package, which placed a heavy emphasis on conservation and the use of alternative energy sources.

The Department of Energy funds a Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency that lists government programs available to homeowners in each state. The Rebuilding Together Institute offers online tips on specific cost-saving improvements. And the Department of Energy’s Home Energy Saver calculator, using specific information about your home and climate, can determine how much a homeowner can save by making a variety of changes.

Bob Kemper is a freelance writer based in Washington.