AOG helps Van Buren Housing Authority pay for tankless water heaters
Arkansas-Oklahoma Gas recently gave $139,000 to the Van Buren Housing Authority to help pay for the installation of 199 tankless water heaters for its tenants. The energy efficiency rebate money comes from a small part of monthly bills paid by AOG customers.
The authority owns and manages 199 units of public housing in Van Buren and manages 40 units in Ozark. AOG has around 60,000 residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
According to AOG, the equipment rebate program provides incentives for installing “high-efficiency equipment” like tankless water heaters, furnaces and smart thermostats. Stephanie Sharp, a spokesperson for Summit Utilities, the parent company of AOG, said rebate programs “entice people to go to the next level” and buy the more expensive high-efficiency products.
“We are extremely excited about this opportunity with Arkansas Oklahoma Gas,” Dayna Cochran, executive director of Van Buren Housing Authority, said in a statement. “This initiative is a huge step forward in our mission to provide affordable and sustainable housing solutions. The energy savings will directly benefit our residents, and the environmental impact aligns perfectly with our goal of creating a greener community.”
Brian Bowen, Summit’s senior director of external affairs, said rebate funds have been directed to other metro agencies.
“AOG has provided over $500,000 to the Fort Smith Housing Authority in either cash rebates or services since these programs were developed in 2013. These incentives have been for furnace and water heater rebates, duct and air sealing, ceiling insulation, and other energy saving or health and safety improvements,” Bowen noted.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reports that tankless heaters can be up to 34% more efficient than conventional water heaters in homes using 41 gallons or less of hot water daily.
“Although tankless gas water heaters should save approximately 33% on hot water heating compared to a conventional storage water heater, actual energy savings vary significantly based on individual draw volume. Above 10 gallons per draw, the efficiency approaches the rated energy factor. The greatest savings occur at a daily use quantity of about 50 gallons,” according to the DOE.
The DOE also reports that most tankless water heaters have a life expectancy of more than 20 years, better than the 10-15 years with conventional heaters.