More Cozy, Less Costly

Matthew Nicolau is a single dad to two little girls. They live in an 80-year-old house that never had renovations, making it costly to heat. “This house was really cold in the winter time. To keep it at 65 degrees meant keeping the heater running all the time and hundreds of dollars in electric bills,” said Matthew. NeighborImpact’s Energy Assistance program helped keep the heat and lights on.

“I did everything I could to earn enough money and deal with family crisis at the same time,” said Matthew. “To be in this situation where I can’t pay the electric and the kids are saying ‘I’m cold’ and people bringing us blankets—that’s a tough state to be in. [NeighborImpact’s] Energy Assistance program paid for the heating bill when I couldn’t.”

Matthew also applied for NeighborImpact’s Weatherization program. Weatherization contractors made various repairs and added insulation to the walls and floors.

“The day they were finished, you could tell the difference. The heater ran less. The house could be kept warmer. The electric bill was less expensive,” said Matthew. “[NeighboImpact] changed our lives for the better.”