To Matthew Haines, the limited incomes of the residents in his apartments shouldn’t mean limited access to lower electric bills and an efficient heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system.

So Haines, who owns Brownstone Village apartments in Irving, Texas, worked with Oncor and its Multifamily HVAC program to replace some old and rusty HVAC units with new, high-efficiency systems.

“It seemed like the perfect fit for us,” said Haines, standing atop a two-story apartment building as he surveyed the new and old HVAC equipment.

“This property was built in the late 1960s and needed a good upgrade,” Haines said. “We wouldn’t be doing this without Oncor’s incentive program.”

Oncor offers financial incentives for multifamily dwellings --- both for low-income and market price apartments. It’s one of several energy efficiency programs from Oncor under its Take A Load Off, Texas effort. These programs are funded with a multimillion-dollar budget approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

In the case of multifamily dwellings, owners like Haines work with HVAC contractors and apply for the funds to assist in replacing inefficient, older systems with new, high-efficient heat pumps.

Last year, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy gave Oncor’s Multifamily HVAC program an Exemplary Program Award based on its effectiveness and innovation in helping customers achieve better energy efficiency levels.

“We look at each application and then calculate the lifetime value of the energy savings,” Brown said. “The HVAC contractor receives the Oncor financial incentive and the rest is paid for by the property owner. The real winners are the customers who are getting a more efficient system.”

Brown said customers on average can expect to lower their annual electric usage 15-30 percent with the new HVAC equipment, depending on their lifestyle.  

In Irving, Haines used the Oncor program to replace the heating and cooling equipment in 40 of the 83 units at Brownstone Village. “I really like the efficiency that it creates for the residents,” he said. “It should lower their electric bills.”

“We are probably the only property in the area that has heat pumps now instead of regular air conditioning units. It’s a win for everyone involved. It’s a win for us, the residents, Oncor and the environment.”

In east Dallas, the Dallas County Housing Authority and minority-owned ElstonAire used the Oncor incentive program to install new HVAC units in 292 apartments at the Roseland Townhomes and Roseland Estates.

ElstonAire installed new high-efficiency heat pumps, air handling equipment and thermostats starting in mid-May through late July, said Kimberly Booker, project manager at ElstonAire.

“Our crews worked almost nonstop, putting in four or five units a day,” Booker said. “And working with Oncor was very straight forward. It was easy and user friendly. We are already starting to line up some projects for the future.”

For Haines and his HVAC contractor Charles Grimes, the project had other benefits. As they switch out the HVAC units, they’re removing up to 300 pounds of R22 refrigerant (Freon) from the old units. R22 contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Haines is then cutting up the old units, selling the metal to a scrap dealer and using the money to buy more new heat pumps.

“It’s great to work with a company that’s upgrading the equipment and doing so with heat pumps, which leave a smaller carbon footprint,” Grimes said.

To find out more about Oncor’s energy efficiency programs and Take a Load Off, Texas, go to www.takealoadofftexas.