Smoke damage prompts efficiency upgrades for Battlement Mesa family

A project to clean up smoke damage turned into an energy-efficient home renovation opportunity for a Battlement Mesa family, thanks to Garfield Clean Energy’s ReEnergize program.

Al and Alexis Ramirez knew the house they bought in 2019 in the Willow Creek neighborhood overlooking the Grand Valley was a fixer-upper.

“We love the views and we love the house, but we knew that it needed a lot of work,” Alexis said of their decision to buy the house when they moved their family from Minnesota to western Colorado.

“We just fell in love with Colorado when we came to visit a friend. It was just meant to be,” said Alexis, who works for the City of Rifle. Her husband has his own masonry company.

The COVID pandemic delayed plans to make improvements to the house to better accommodate their growing family. The Ramirezes have three children, ages 17, 14 and 2.

When a brush fire erupted in the spring of 2022 on a nearby hillside, burning their perimeter fence, smoke filtered into the house around the window and door casings, and got into the ventilation system.

“Everything smelled like smoke and it was in our clothes and all our belongings, and you could see the black residue on the walls,” Alexis recalled.

The Ramirezes and other residents who were impacted by the fire were referred to Garfield Clean Energy, among other resources.

“Our main concern was the windows, but we also knew we needed new insulation more than anything else,” Alexis said.

Through ReEnergize, they were able to receive more than $5,000 in financial assistance to not only seal those leaky windows and doorways, but to add insulation in the walls, floor and attic, and even upgrade the lighting to energy-saving LED bulbs.

The ReEnergize Program began in 2022, and has since helped more than 100 Garfield County families make home improvements aimed at lowering their energy bills. It’s aimed at “missing middle” homeowners and renters – those who earn up to 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and who don’t qualify for state and federal weatherization programs that are geared for lower-income households.

Once a household is qualified, GCE works with the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG) to provide a free home energy assessment, do the estimates and line up contractors, explained Zuleika Pevec, built environment team lead for Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER).

“NWCCOG helps the residents understand their home energy use, and then puts together a work estimate,” Pevec said. “Sometimes the estimate is more than what the rebate amount would cover, so there is some choice on the client’s part whether to put some extra money into it. We do try to encourage them to do the higher-priority projects first.”

Alexis Ramirez said they likely would not have pursued the project in their home without the help from ReEnergize, or would have at least spread it out over a longer period of time.

“We were just trying to get our life back together after the fire and make it a livable home, so working with Garfield Clean Energy was a huge help,” she said. “We realized our heating bills were higher than normal in the winter, and that it’s important to have enough insulation. It went beyond what we would have thought about doing on our own.”

The financial aid provided by ReEnergize also freed up funds to make some other minor upgrades, like replacing the stairway carpeting with new flooring.

“Everything’s just so expensive, so every little bit helps,” Ramirez said. “We love our house, you know. It has its own character, and we want to make it the best home possible.”

ReEnergize funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Apply now to see if you qualify and get on the waiting list for 2025 funding!