National studies show that weatherizing homes helps individuals with chronic health conditions like asthma experience fewer medical department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths due to extreme temperatures. Public health scholars can help shape the promotion of these programs by highlighting the important health benefits.
The WAP also supports community revitalization, spurs economic development, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The non-energy benefits are tremendous and can be highlighted through effective program evaluation.
1. Lower Energy Bills
Providing energy efficiency upgrades to low-income homes is a powerful approach to helping families reduce their home heating costs. The DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps households save money on their energy bills by insulating and air-sealing their houses, installing programmable thermostats, and other energy saving measures. The national evaluation of WAP found that on average, participants save $283 in energy costs each year.
In addition to lower energy costs, WAP improves indoor air quality and reduces exposure to allergens like mold and dust that contribute to asthma and allergies. The National Evaluation of WAP also found that after being weatherized, residents experienced improved sleep, which leads to fewer missed days of work and school and lower medical expenses.
Considering the powerful benefits of home weatherization, it’s clear why new climate laws include substantial funding for the program. To help increase uptake of the program, public health scholars can use their research into health co-benefits of EE to support program promotion strategies, and economists can bring behavioral insights to inform program design. IREC’s new training for WAP administrative professionals is a great example of this effort.
2. Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The primary goal of the weatherization program is to make a home more energy efficient, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It does this by stopping unwanted chills from entering homes in the winter, and heat and humidity from escaping in the summer. It also ensures that air is adequately circulated to manage moisture in the house, reducing the likelihood of mold or mildew, and by keeping temperatures more consistent year round.
As a result, households that receive weatherization save $223-$283 per year on energy bills, which frees up money for other necessities and helps combat poverty. Additionally, utility rates are reduced by avoided rate subsidies and by lower bad debt costs, and there is a reduction in customer calls and shut-offs due to arrearages.
In addition to the economic and environmental benefits of WAP, Slipstream worked with healthcare stakeholders to learn more about the social determinants of health that can be addressed through energy efficiency programs. These findings show that if health and emissions benefits are included in savings-to-investment and cost-effectiveness calculations, these benefits can double or even triple the ROI of an energy efficiency program.
3. Increased Home Value
In addition to slashing energy bills, weatherization improves a home’s comfort and indoor air quality. Adding insulation and sealing air leaks reduces drafty rooms, hot or cold spots, and moisture accumulation that can lead to mold and wood damage over time.
When combined with a smart thermostat, weatherization improves efficiency by lowering heating and cooling temperatures based on occupancy patterns. By reducing overall energy consumption, homes can also lower their greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Buttoning up a home with air-sealing and additional insulation is one of the fastest ways to make a house more comfortable and save money. It’s important to remember that a house is an integrated system and changing one aspect will impact the entire home.
The bottom line is that homes that are properly weatherized and improved to meet a high standard of energy efficiency increase their value. They are more attractive to potential buyers and can fetch a higher price when it comes time to sell. Check out Efficiency Maine’s rebates, FAQs and certified contractor guides for more information on insulating your home.
4. Improved Health and Well-Being
Weatherization is one of the most effective strategies to reduce energy burden, or the amount of money households spend on heating and cooling. Research shows that families in weatherized homes spend less on electricity, gas, and other utility bills each year, and they save an average of $283 per year. This is money that they can use for other needs, such as food, medicine, gasoline, fuzzy animal slippers, or plastic flamingos for the garden.
Health-related benefits of weatherization include a reduced risk for asthma, especially among children and women, and improved indoor air quality. Asthma attacks are more likely to occur in homes without adequate insulation, ventilation, or air sealing. Weatherization reduces the frequency of asthma attacks, resulting in less time missed from work and school, and decreased emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs.
The federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) delivers these benefits to disadvantaged households, many of whom have chronic illnesses that can be exacerbated by cold or hot weather. Yet, the program remains underutilized—in part because of poor marketing and a lack of awareness.
5. Increased Resilience
Weatherization helps to reduce household energy consumption and enables households to transition to cleaner sources of power. It also decreases greenhouse gas emissions and supports jobs. It has the potential to increase resilience, but only if the benefits are better understood and promoted.
In addition to saving on energy bills, home weatherization can help prevent health hazards such as COVID-19 and improve indoor air quality by reducing the amount of smoke, dust, mold and other contaminants in a house. A recent National Evaluation of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) found that following a WAP retrofit, residents miss fewer days of work or school and have lower out-of-pocket medical costs.
Weatherization programs are important tools to combat energy inequity. Households at the lowest income levels experience higher energy burdens, putting a greater proportion of their earnings toward utility costs. By decreasing those costs, weatherization can free up household income that can be put to use for other needs. IREC is proud to be part of the virtuous cycle that weatherization can create when it is delivered to disadvantaged households.