Manufactured homes remain one of the most energy-intensive and difficult housing segments for electric cooperatives to serve. Older construction, limited insulation and deferred maintenance often translate into higher bills, lower comfort and frustrated members. Recognizing both system impacts and member experience, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), a Virginia-based generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative, partnered with Maryland-based Choptank Electric Cooperative to launch a manufactured housing energy efficiency program that delivers measurable savings while reinforcing cooperative values.
The program emerged from ODEC’s ongoing engagement with its member cooperatives. ODEC Vice President of Member Services and Strategic Electrification Alison Kaufmann said discussions in 2024 repeatedly identified manufactured housing as both a challenge and an opportunity.
We saw a clear overlap between where energy use was highest and where members had the least ability to make improvements on their own.
“We saw a clear overlap between where energy use was highest and where members had the least ability to make improvements on their own,” Kaufmann said. “That led us to ask whether we could design a program that addressed a real need in rural service territories while also delivering verifiable system benefits.”
After securing board approval in early 2025, ODEC launched the program in October 2025 with Choptank as the first participating distribution cooperative.
The program begins with an energy audit and progresses through tiered improvements tailored to each home. Tier 1 measures include basic weatherization, duct sealing, HVAC tuneups and smart thermostats where feasible. Tier 2 focuses on underbelly insulation, a common source of energy loss in manufactured homes. Tier 3, reserved for income-qualified households, allows for HVAC replacement using heat pumps or mini-splits.
All measures are provided at no cost to members, a feature that has proven critical to participation. Kaufmann said ODEC evaluated the program using the same discipline applied to power supply investments.
“We look at energy efficiency the same way we look at generation,” she said. “If you can reliably reduce demand, that’s a resource. This program was modeled to save about 4,500 kilowatt-hours per home per year, which can translate to roughly $50 per month in bill savings for participating members.”
For Choptank, the motivation to participate was straightforward. Director of Marketing, Communications and Education Katie Luckett said the cooperative viewed the program as a way to reach members who need additional assistance and are less engaged through traditional channels.
“Many of our manufactured home members live in very rural areas and don’t always participate in other co-op programs,” Luckett said. “This allowed us to reach them directly with something that would have an immediate impact on their homes: their bills.”
Outreach combined broad communication with targeted engagement, including direct emails to members identified as living in manufactured homes, a newsletter article, website notices, app banners, social media and local media outreach. In addition, Choptank’s board of directors played an important role in spreading awareness. Several directors shared information about the program within their counties and community networks, reinforcing trust and encouraging participation through word of mouth.
Early results are strong. Choptank completed 47 energy audits, with 31 homes already receiving Tier 1 or Tier 2 improvements and additional projects moving through scheduling.
Many of our manufactured home members live in very rural areas and don’t always participate in co-op programs. This allowed us to reach them directly with something that would have an immediate impact on their homes: their bills.
Luckett emphasized that success also depended on how the program was discussed with members.
“You have to lead with empathy and meet people where they are,” she said. “Many of these members don’t have the means to pay for upgrades themselves and may already feel pressure from high bills. Letting them know the program is free and that the co‑op genuinely wants to help makes a real difference.”
That combination of disciplined cost-benefit analysis, board engagement and empathy-driven outreach makes the program notable.
As Kaufmann explained, “When the business case and the heart of the cooperative align, that’s when you know you’re investing in something that benefits both the system and the people we serve.”
