Donna Scuitto still remembers when she moved into her Novato home — it was July 4th weekend in 1975. For more than 50 years, the house has been a place of stability and connection for her and her loved ones, where she still hosts friends for card games.
Like many long-time homeowners, Scuitto has taken great care of her home over the decades. But as health and home repair costs continue to rise for Scuitto and other Marin County residents, she has taken a practical approach to home upgrades.
“If it breaks, I’ll deal with it,” she says. But she acknowledges that mindset can come with a cost and was always looking for ways to improve her home comfort without straining her budget.
At a local forum hosted by the Marin County Commission on Aging, Scuitto learned about BayREN’s newly launched Efficiency and Sustainable Energy (EASE) Home program, designed to promote home improvements that save energy, especially for moderate-income residents. The program stood out immediately: high-quality upgrades, clear guidance, and costs capped at a level she felt she could manage.
“I enjoyed meeting the Marin County Sustainability Team at the Commission on Aging seminar, and I thought the program was a good idea for my home,” Scuitto said.
In October 2025, Scuitto completed an attic insulation and whole home weatherstripping project valued at $6,500, paying just $1,000 out of pocket. The new attic insulation provides more than twice the thermal resistance of her previous insulation, helping both to keep the home warm during cool months and to keep it cool during the summer. The weatherstripping stopped drafts from her front door and garage doors so that her heating and cooling systems no longer have to work as hard. With the EASE Home upgrades, Scuitto now has a better-insulated, more tightly sealed home. Encouraged by her positive experience working with the Marin County Sustainability Team, she has referred several friends to the program.
In a county with some of the highest housing and maintenance costs in California, EASE Home makes energy efficiency upgrades more accessible for income-qualified households. From the initial home assessment through final installation, the program manages the entire process, eliminating the need for residents to solicit contractor bids or coordinate multiple vendors. These features allow people such as Scuitto to reduce their energy costs and improve the comfort of their homes, supporting aging in place.
The program serves single-family homes where residents earn up to 120% of Area Median Income ($185,700 annually for a two-person household in Marin County). The program covers 80% of project costs, with the participant’s contribution capped at $1,000.
County of Marin residents: If you think EASE Home could be a good fit for your home or the home of a friend, family member, or neighbor, contact the Marin County Sustainability Team at energy@marincounty.gov or call (415) 473-2698.
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