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What is the Weatherization Assistance Program?

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Weatherization Assistance Program is a U.S. Department of Energy program designed to help low-income families reduce their energy bills through proper weatherization. By weatherizing their home, the home becomes more energy efficient, benefiting both the residents and the environment.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

The Weatherization Assistance Program is one of several green-oriented aspects of President Obama's 2008 Recovery Act. The Department of Energy received over $5 billion to assist low-income Americans weatherize their homes. According to U.S. Department of Energy Senior Advisor Matt Rogers, the program has four main benefits:
- The Weatherization Assistance Program creates jobs by creating new markets for weatherizing professionals
- The program puts money back in the pockets of working Americans by reducing their energy bills
- By weatherizing hundreds of thousands of homes, the Department of Energy hopes to reduce America's environmental footprint and make the United States a world leader in weatherization and energy efficiency
- The program will make the homes of Americans more livable

In a recent video address, Matt Rogers summed up the Weatherization Assistance Program by stating that the program will make America "stronger, cleaner, healthier, and wealthier by investing in energy efficiency."

Applying for Help from the Weatherization Assistance Program

According to the Department of Energy, as many as 30 million American families are eligible to receive help from the weatherization program. While eligibility varies from state to state, a few groups of individuals are automatically eligible to receive assistance, including anyone over 60, families with one or members suffering from a disability, and, in most states, families with children. For others, eligibility begins at 200% above poverty level - but again, this varies from state to state.

Creating Jobs for Weatherization Professionals

Throughout the summer of 2009, the Department of Energy announced large grants to both cities and states to help get weatherization underway. The states hope that the grants will spur job growth in weatherization by creating a weatherization market where none existed before. More recently, during a speech at the Brookings Institution, President Obama stressed green job growth again, especially stressing weatherization of businesses and homes.

For existing home renovators and general contractors, now is the ideal time to take advantage of these new markets, and become a certified weatherization worker. Because it is a relatively new field, some states are still working out certification requirements, but nearly all states have a list of the weatherizing professionals they will approve for projects funded by the Weatherization Assistance Program. Sign up for an online course or find a course through a local vocational or technical college. Showing you have weatherization training will help you get on the short list of approved weatherization professionals in your area.

Sources: Jaffe, Matthew and Travers, Karen. "Obama's Number One Job? Jobs." ABC News: December 8, 2009. ABCNews.Go.com US Department of Energy (Energy.gov).

Posted by Heather Brunson @ 5:14 PM • 1 comments