Energy Outreach: A Community Perspective on Keeping Homes Safe and Warm

In a mountain community, reliable energy is more than a household expense—it is essential to health, safety, and stability. A warm, energy-efficient home protects families during cold winters, supports healthy indoor air quality, and allows older adults, children, and people with chronic health conditions to remain safe at home.

Yet for many households, energy costs compete with other necessities. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that low-income households spend an average of 6% of their income on home energy—three times the share paid by households with higher incomes. In some communities, that burden can exceed 30%.

This makes energy security an important social determinant of health. Housing quality and economic stability influence whether people can afford nutritious food, medications, transportation, and health care. When utility bills become unmanageable, families may be forced to make impossible choices: pay for heat or groceries, fill a prescription or keep the lights on.

Through a grant from Energy Outreach Colorado, MIRA is helping local residents understand and access energy assistance. As a trusted, bilingual resource, MIRA helps community members identify available programs, navigate applications, and connect with organizations equipped to address both immediate financial needs and the long-term condition of their homes.

An important part of this work is bringing information directly into the community. MIRA hired Colorado Mountain College interns to conduct outreach, share available resources, and help residents understand where to turn for support. MIRA is also working with a Neighborhood Champion—a trusted community member who can share information through existing relationships, listen to residents’ concerns, and help ensure outreach reflects the language, culture, and realities of the people it is intended to serve.

This community-based approach is especially important because energy assistance programs can be complicated to navigate. Colorado residents may qualify for several forms of support, including:

• The Low-income Energy Assistance Program, or LEAP, which helps eligible households pay a portion of their winter heating costs.
• Energy Outreach Colorado assistance for past-due utility bills and other energy emergencies.
• Crisis Intervention Program support for qualifying households experiencing heating-system emergencies.
• The Colorado Affordable Residential Energy, or CARE, program, which provides free energy-efficiency improvements to qualifying households.
• Weatherization, home-energy assessments, rebates, and utility programs that can reduce energy use and make homes safer and more comfortable.

Locally, Walking Mountains Science Center is an essential partner in turning these resources into meaningful improvements. Its Energy Coaches help Eagle County residents understand their energy use, complete home-energy assessments, identify safety and efficiency concerns, find qualified contractors, and navigate rebates and incentives. Walking Mountains also administers ReEnergize Eagle County, which can provide qualifying households with up to $7,500 for home assessments and upgrades.

Holy Cross Energy is another important partner in this work, offering payment-assistance connections, income-qualified programs, energy assessments, rebates, and resources that help members reduce energy use and manage costs.

Together, MIRA, Energy Outreach Colorado, Walking Mountains, Holy Cross Energy, Colorado Mountain College interns, and trusted Neighborhood Champions are helping residents move from moments of crisis toward lasting stability. When a home is warm, safe, and affordable to maintain, families have greater freedom to focus on their health, care for one another, and participate fully in our community.

Energy assistance is not simply about paying a bill—it is about creating the conditions every neighbor needs to thrive.