| Partner Family Story | Doretha |
Critical Repairs Prevent Hurricane Damage
Partner Family member Kisha reports. “We actually had no damage from Hurricane Ida. My mother, Doretha, is so grateful. If we had not had our gutters repaired prior to that, they would have fallen off!”
After Doretha was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2013, Kisha says, it became increasingly difficult for her mother to keep up with maintenance and repairs for her four-family home in Newark’s South Ward.
Through Comfort Partners, Habitat of Greater Newark partners with PSE&G to repair and weatherize homes in Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. After the program’s initial home assessment, Habitat of Greater Newark fixes problems such as: roof repair, asbestos removal, or poor basement drainage. Next, PSE&G boosts homes’ energy efficiency through measures such as:
- efficient lighting products,
- water heater insulation,
- water heater pipe insulation,
- energy-saving showerheads and aerators,
- replacement of inefficient refrigerators,
- thermostat upgrades,
- wall/attic insulation upgrades,
- blower-door guided air sealing,
- duct sealing and repair,
- heating/cooling equipment maintenance,
- and other measures.
Doretha struggles with limited mobility. Kisha notes appreciatively that Gabriela, Habitat of Greater Newark’s Family Services Coordinator, not only visited their house, but also scheduled visits at the same time as PSE&G’s Comfort Partners program representatives to lessen disruption to the family’s schedule. When Gabriela and the Habitat of Greater Newark contractors looked at the house, “they made special note of our gutters. The wood was falling off the tops of the gutters. They replaced them right before the hurricane.”
Habitat of Greater Newark’s work in the Comfort Partners program is funded by the PSEG Foundation. “PSE&G is proud to participate in New Jersey’s Comfort Partners program,” said Calvin Ledford Jr., president of the PSEG Foundation. “These energy efficiency measures help members of our community save energy and money while also improving their home’s safety and comfort.”
For the latest information on the PSE&G Comfort Partners program, or to complete an online application, visit New Jersey Comfort Partners’ website or call 1-800-915-8309.