When Bonnie’s husband passed away, her heartbreak came along with a terrifying realization: with the loss of his income, she was suddenly unable to stay on top of her bills, especially when it came to heating her house. A friend told Bonnie to contact Action Inc. Energy Services. Looking back, she sees how making that difficult phone call was a turning point toward getting back on her feet.
A disabled grandmother who cares for her toddler granddaughter twice a week, Bonnie lives in a 1800s Essex home that was expensive to heat. It was also badly in need of repairs that she couldn’t afford to address with her husband gone.
“The windows were so bad I couldn’t even shut them all the way,” Bonnie said. “I put up plastic in the winter, but it was still so cold.”
– Bonnie
Action Inc. Energy staff helped Bonnie apply for the Fuel Assistance program and tackle her heating bills, and then they referred her to Action Inc.’s Energy Efficiency program. Before she knew it, one of our Building Performance Specialists was in her home to see what could be done.
“Brendan couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful,” Bonnie said. “He did a total assessment and tried to find ways to do as much as possible on the house. The contractors he called in were terrific. They did the roof, a new water boiler, gutters, insulation, a couple new doors, plus some windows.”
While contractors busied themselves with all the work on Bonnie’s house, she worked to face her grief and find a way to move forward. “It was such a blessing during the worst time in my life,” Bonnie said. “I cried just about every time one of the guys showed up to help me, and sometimes they cried with me.”
Bonnie’s heart is still healing, but her home is now safe and warm. “I’ve noticed a huge difference since they finished the work. Everyone at Action Inc. went above and beyond, and I really don’t know what I would have done without you.”
