AUGUSTA – To promote energy conservation, homeowners in Androscoggin, Cumberland and York counties are eligible to enter a “Whole House” contest to give their home an energy savings makeover.

The Whole House Contest is asking homeowners to look at their energy bills and see if they’re higher than their neighbors and other similar homes.

If their bills are higher, they would be ideal contestants for the energy makeover contest. The Maine Home Performance contest is sponsored by the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security, the Maine Public Utilities Commission’s Efficiency Maine program, several businesses and the national Energy Star program.

The home energy makeover will reduce energy bills between 10 and 50 percent, said Beth Nagusky, director of Maine’s energy independence office.

The winner of the makeover will be the home with the greatest potential to show how to make energy savings changes, typically an older Maine home where cold air leaks in, Nagusky said.

“The winner could end up with not only thousands of dollars of improvements, but dramatic energy savings,” Nagusky said Tuesday. That could mean new appliances and windows.

The winning home will be featured in a television show in which the Energy Star program conducts an analysis and recommends how to cut energy bills. The television show will also demonstrate how to install energy-saving measures, and encourage homeowners to get energy-saving audits.

“Energy prices are climbing, and homeowners can benefit significantly by having trained professionals analyze their homes and make cost-effective improvements to reduce energy bills, Nagusky said.

Beginning in October, a three-year pilot program will also provide energy-saving training and marketing support to contractors in York, Cumberland and Androscoggin counties. Participating contractors and consultants will be taught to use green-energy technology and evolving science to solve problems, and will be instructed to calculate the energy savings from improvements.

Contest sponsors are donating products and services featured in the television program. The sponsors include: Northern Utilities, Lee Toyota, WarmTECH Solutions, Energy Kinetics boilers, Paradigm Windows, and Carpet & Rug Depot.

Deadline to enter is Sept. 10.

Contest entry forms are available at www.maineswb.com, and at www.mainehomeperformance.org.

To find a home-energy auditor, go to: htpp://www.maine.gov/msep/certifications.htm, or www.mainehomeperformance.org.

– Bonnie Washuk