Monday, Feb 14 2011 4:35PM

Fourteen households in the outlying community of Cordova, Alaska were recently chosen to receive energy-efficient upgrades for their homes through the state's Weatherization program, reported the Cordova Times.

The community development program was originally created to reduce the use of imported oil and slash heating prices in low-income households, and initially focused on simple improvements such as covering windows with plastic sheeting and caulking. Now, the paper said the program has received increased funding that allows it to provide funding for the replacement of mechanical equipment such as heating and cooling systems.

Gloria Clark, a Cordova resident who obtained one of the grants, said she would not have been able to make the necessary improvements to her home without the assistance of the program.

"I could not have afforded to hire anyone to come and do this work on my home," she said. "Now I can stand at the sink and do my dishes and the wind isn't blowing right off the lake and into the house."

Proper weatherization is a major issue in Alaska, which experiences the coldest winter temperatures in the nation. In an effort to improve the quality of many residences, the Alaska Housing Finance Program is also encouraging recipients of its housing loans to participate in its weatherization initiative in order to reduce energy consumption.