'Smart Home' block party set for Provo

PROVO — When the house at 279 S. 600 West was built, no one had heard the term "smart home."

But now, the home that dates to the 1920s is becoming one.

A block party to introduce various ways homeowners can make their homes more energy efficient is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The home is the centerpiece.

The Franklin Neighborhood, Provo City Redevelopment Agency and NeighborWorks Provo will host the party and have invited some 100 neighborhood households to come and learn about the latest in energy efficiency, said Provo spokeswoman Helen Anderson.

NeighborWorks Provo purchased the house to rehabilitate and sell. Various energy efficiency upgrades are part of the makeover. Once complete, the home will be open for public tours and demonstrations before it is sold.

Provo City Power and Water, Questar, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and the Utah County Housing Authority Weatherization Program will help with the energy-efficient upgrades. Representatives of those entities will be on hand to offer tips on how neighbors can make their own homes energy smarter, Anderson said.

— Rodger L. Hardy