“Button Up Kearsarge,” an evening workshop focusing on the basics of home energy costs and the values of home weatherization will be offered to local residents on Tuesday, February 12, at the Andover Community Hub, 157 Main Street  in Andover Village. The presentation, open to the public at no cost, will begin at 6:30 PM.. Refreshments will be available.
The event is part of a six-town effort, under the “Weatherize Kearsarge” banner, to educate property-owners on how to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat their homes, resulting in lower energy bills, a more comfortable and healthy home, and less roof damage from ice damming.
The effort, coordinated by the Upper Valley non-profit Vital Communities, includes the towns of New London, Newbury, Sutton, Warner and Wilmot, in addition to Andover.  Local support volunteers are members of the Andover Energy Group.

Workshop topics will include: residential heat use and loss, the short-term benefits of simple do-it-yourself weatherization, the value of a professional home energy audit, the long-term benefits of extensive professional energy retrofits, the improvements in health and comfort that weatherization can bring, and the technical and financial resources available to make it happen
The workshop will be led by certified home-energy consultant Bob Eldredge, owner of Concord-based ABC Energy Savings.  Eldredge has been offering Button-Up presentations across the state since 2010, including two prior visits to Andover. He is one of three contractors endorsed by Vital Communities for the Weatherize Kearsarge project.
Weatherize Kearsarge works by teaming up community volunteers with certified weatherization contractors to make it easier and more affordable to reduce energy costs and improve home comfort through air sealing and insulation upgrades. Residents in participating towns can start the process with a $100 energy audit (often priced over $400) available between now and March 15. Participants who commit to an energy efficiency project by May 31 will be entered to win $500 toward project costs.
For more information, go to vitalcommunities.org/Weatherize. For individual support and assistance, contact local energy group members Vicky Mishcon at 735.6402, Susan or Larry Chase at 735.5135 or Gisela or Steve Darling at 735.5681, or Lee or Ken Wells at 735.5756.