Loveland Indoor Retrofit Final Report

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Setting up the project Preliminary work for the audit project included selecting the auditors, publicizing the pro- ject to recruit participants, selecting the participating households and deciding which ret- rofit devices to install. Auditors The initial plan for the project was to enlist volunteers to perform the water audits. The City's volunteer coordinator advertised for the positions, but the two candidates that applied lacked the necessary skills to perform the job. At that time it was de- cided to hire an auditing company to perform the services for the program. Environ- mental Assets Recovery Services, Inc. (EARS) of Denver, also referred to as the contractor, was hired. The City provided the retrofit devices, assessment forms, and other handouts left with the residents. The contractor provided plumbing repair tools and items for mi- nor adjustments and installation of retrofit devices. The contractor assumed all liabil- ity associated with the installation of the devices, adjustments to the devices and any repair work performed during the course of the audit for 90 days following comple- tion of the project. Publicity The audit project was offered to customers free of charge. To qualify for the project, customers had to be a City water customer; live in a single family home; and have lived at their current address for a minimum of two years. Publicity for recruiting participants included: Direct Mail. Customers with high water use were initially targeted for the pro- ject because these homes had the greatest potential for savings and the most in- centive to join the project. The City of Loveland Management Information Systems (MIS) Department used sewer billing records to identify customers with the highest water consumption. The top 20 percent, 2,400 customers, re- ceived a direct mailing with an invitation to join the project. Loveland sewer bills are calculated each year by averaging a customer's water use during the winter quarter. This is the water use that appears on January, February and March bills. Using winter quarter water use isolates interior water use from out- door use and weather variables. Utility Bill Insert. Quarterly, the Water and Power Department publishes Util- ity News, a utility bill insert with water and energy tips and news. A coupon and information about the project were published in the September 1992 issue (At- tachment C). The response from the insert was very good. Newspaper. The local newspaper, the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald, ran a story with information about the project and how to participate (Attachment D). Also, advertisements for the project ran three weeks in the City's weekly adver- 3