Free energy-saving kits available at four Spokane locations

Anyone in the Spokane community can receive a free home energy kit on Thursday. SNAP and McKinstry are handling distribution with Avista Utilities, which supplied the contents. No forms are required: residents can drive to a participating site and collect a kit while inventory remains.

Inside are draft stoppers and energy-efficient LED bulbs, along with plastic coverings for windows and strips used to seal out weather. The supplies are meant to improve insulation, reduce household energy costs and make winter temperatures more manageable. Interest has climbed each year. About 600 kits were distributed a couple of years ago, followed by 1,000 last year—the first time the program reached that total.

Pickup runs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at four sites: The Catalyst Building at 601 East Riverside Avenue; The McKinstry Fabrication Shop at 9470 West 21st Avenue; the STA Plaza Kiosk Area at 701 West Riverside Avenue; and The McKinstry Offsite Manufacturing Facility at 10015 W Hallett Road. People who miss Thursday’s window may still find kits through SNAP office locations. Organizers intend to add more distribution sites and increase the number of kits in future events as demand grows.