With no upfront costs, this innovative financing tool makes energy efficiency affordable to all

From Nate Berg / ENSIA: North Carolina’s Roanoke Electric Cooperative is helping members bring down energy costs. Because the energy costs in this area is due to a lack of energy efficiency, the cooperative offers tariffed on-billing to help homes offset expenses like insulation and new heat pumps. The tariffed on-billing uses federal loans to pay for said expenses, and then the customer pays the tariff charge in their bill – which ends up being lower because of the energy-efficient upgrades.

Click here to read the original story.

Issue Areas:

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Environment, Poverty Reduction Measures

Impact Areas:

Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Finance

Actors:

Businesses, Government

Communities Served:

Communities Experiencing Economic Hardship, Workers

Strategies:

Easing Economic Burdens for Individuals, Increase Education / Insights Sharing, Utilizing Sustainable or Renewable Resources

Success Factors:

Business With Social Goals, Empowering People, Expanding Access, Meeting People Where They Are At, Overcoming the Big Challenges

Geographic Region:

North America

Countries:

United States

Date:

February 26, 2019

More Resources:

These Local Governments Are Using Federal Aid to Cancel Medical Debt

From Oscar Perry Abello / Next City: With funding from city governments, the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt acquires and cancels medical debt by negotiating directly with hospitals. The only requirement is being under 400% of the federal poverty line and...

How going solar is helping U.S. schools save millions

From Nikolay Nikolov / Mashable: School districts in the United States are switching to solar power to save money on utilities and sell extra power back to the power grid. They use the savings to increase teachers’ pay and upgrade...

Conversation with Deepa Iyer

Deepa Iyer is the co-founder of Ayeko Farms, an initiative focused on sustainable agriculture and building community resilience through farming practices. She works to promote environmental sustainability and social equity by fostering deeper connections between communities and the land. Deepa...

Conversation with Antonio Lyons

Antonio Lyons, Director of Georgetown University’s Racial Justice Institute’s EnActors, is a multi-disciplinary artist and Applied Theatre Practitioner blending poetry, music, and movement. A Fulbright Awardee and Oregon Shakespeare Festival Producing Fellow, he created We Are Here, a social activism...

Conversation with Delana Finlayson

Delana Finlayson leads Urban Think Tank Empower, a South African non-profit dedicated to socio-economic transformation through multidisciplinary projects. Notably, the Empower Khayelitsha project pioneers housing innovation approaches by integrating affordability, sustainability, and community engagement. Delana Finlayson spoke with Ashley Hopkinson...

Microfinance helps Indian women borrow – with dignity

From Annie Banerji / Christian Science Monitor: Microfinance institutions in India are providing low-cost loans to women in remote areas who typically only have access to loan sharks. The women are using the money to break poverty cycles and start their...