Ameren Illinois Helps Make the Weidlich Home a Model for Energy EfficiencyIf you’re lucky enough to cross paths with Albert Weidlich, you may just walk away with a unique keepsake. The avid model-maker — who favors miniature airplanes, boats and tanks — has been known to give his tiny treasures away.

“I like to give them to people who remind me of the qualities in the model,” he explains. For example, someone who is tenacious about helping others may receive a fighter plane. “It’s my way of saying, ‘I like what I see in you.’”

As a retired Lutheran minister, Albert (“Al”) Weidlich has lived a life in service to others. In fact, the youthful octogenarian and aviation enthusiast continues to play an active role in the Civil Air Patrol, where he helps young people develop citizenship and character.

While he happily invests his energy in others, Ameren Illinois is helping Al save a little energy at home, courtesy of the Home Efficiency Income-Qualified Program. Designed to help low- and moderate-income households, the program provides incentives that cover up to 80% of the cost of improvements.

“This program is unique in that it looks at the whole house as a system to achieve the greatest gains in efficiency,” says Program Manager Dave Beaulieu.“ In addition to incentives from Ameren Illinois, participants often achieve significant energy savings on utility bills — and improve the comfort of their homes.”

Comfort had been an issue ever since the Weidlichs moved into the ranch-style home in 1992.

“The floor always seemed kind of cold and there would be a damp smell when we turned the furnace on in winter,” Al says.

Unfortunately, energy efficiency improvements seemed out of reach.

“I didn’t think we could afford improvements, not with Social Security and the pension I got from church,” he says. “I was going to try to nurse our furnace as long as I could.”

And so he did, until the 25 year-old furnace quit during cold weather. To make matters worse, a technician from Jesse Heating & Cooling found that the heat exchanger was leaking carbon monoxide into the house. The failing furnace would need to be replaced — and fast.

“ To me, the whole program has been a miracle.”

— Albert Weidlich

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PROGRAM BENEFITS • Ameren Illinois offers cash incentives

to cover up to 80% of the project costs

• On-Bill Financing may be available for the customer portion of project costs

• Greater comfort in home

• Increased long-term value of the home

• Better indoor air quality

• Lighter impact on environment

HOME EFFICIENCY INCOME-QUALIFIED PROGRAM

ON-BILL FINANCING AVAILABLEIncentives from Ameren Illinois may cover up to 80% of the costs of energy-saving improvements. For the remaining amount, On-Bill Financing is available and offers:

• Low interest rate

• Up to 10 years to pay off balance

• No minimum credit score requirement

• Convenient monthly billing on your Ameren Illinois bill

Fortunately, as an Ameren Illinois Program Ally, the team at Jesse Heating & Cooling was aware of the Ameren Illinois Home Efficiency Income-Qualified Program and urged Al to apply.

Al’s application was approved, and before long Jesse Heating & Cooling had installed a new, high-efficiency furnace and air conditioner. The team also sealed air leaks and added insulation in the attic and crawl space to warm the home and keep out moisture.

“Fortunately, the new furnace was installed in the nick of time; otherwise, I might have been a statistic,” says Al. “The program has probably saved my health — maybe even my life.”

As a potentially life-saving measure, the new furnace proved to be priceless. And as energy-saving measures, these upgrades will pay off in daily comfort — and dollars and cents.

Altogether, the improvements will reduce Al’s energy use by an estimated 2,500 kWh of electricity and 600 therms of natural gas every year. That equates to annual dollar savings of more than $600 — money that may help fund more model-making.

Ameren Illinois also provided more than $7,800 in cash incentives, which covered approximately 70% of total project costs.

“By sharing the costs, Ameren Illinois allowed me to pay my share without going into debt,” says Al.

“Often the people who can least afford energy efficiency improvements need them the most,” says Beaulieu. “This program has an incredible impact on homeowners — it will change their homes and change their lives.”

Today, surrounded by his miniature models and his late wife’s beloved angel figurines, Albert Weidlich spends his days in a house that feels a little more like home.

“I am doubly grateful for the Ameren Illinois Home Efficiency Program for my safety and my improved living conditions,” he says. “To me the whole program has been a miracle.”

HOW TO QUALIFYTo qualify, Ameren Illinois customers must meet the following criteria:

• Own and live in a single-family, site-built home

• Heat the home with gas or electricity supplied by Ameren Illinois

• Be current on their Ameren Illinois account

• Have a household income up to 300% of federal guidelines

“ This program has an incredible impact on homeowners—it will change their homes and change their lives.”

— Dave Beaulieu, Program Manager

WHOLE-HOUSE EFFICIENCY: A POWERFUL APPROACHEvery action matters when it comes to efficiency, but when you take a comprehensive look at the whole house, you can help your home reach its greatest potential. The Ameren Illinois Home Efficiency Income-Qualified program focuses on how your home works as a system and offers generous incentives to lower the cost of these upgrades:

• Air/duct sealing

• Insulation

• Heating and cooling systems

• Smart and programmable thermostats

• High-efficiency lighting

• Faucet aerators and showerheads

Home Efficiency Income-Qualified Program

READY TO BEGIN?AmerenIllinoisSavings.com/Income

1.866.838.691806/17

ALLIES IN EFFICIENCYOur Program Ally Network consists of independent contractors who are certified by the Building Performance Institute as insulation/air sealing specialists and/or HVAC professionals. These specially trained contractors will help you identify improvements that deliver the biggest bang for the buck — as well as incentives to help pay for them. To find a Home Efficiency Program Ally, visit AmerenIllinoisSavings.com/AllySearch.