Shaheen Joins Bipartisan Effort to Help More American Households Save Energy and Money Through Weatherization

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in introducing the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act. The bipartisan legislation seeks to improve public health and lower household energy costs by bolstering the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which covers home weatherization, window replacement, sealing air leaks, ventilation improvements and other key energy-saving measures.

“Weatherizing homes is one of the most effective tools we have to help Granite State families save money on their monthly utility bills while also reducing emissions,” said Senator Shaheen. “By expanding access to the Weatherization Assistance Program, this commonsense bipartisan legislation would allow more households to implement cost-saving energy efficiency measures that create new jobs and boost New Hampshire’s economy.”

“This bipartisan, cost-effective bill is about saving families and taxpayers money, cutting air pollution, and generating good-paying clean-energy jobs.  Passing the Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act will help save families in need real money on their energy bills while also benefitting the U.S. economy, environment, and public health.  It would help reduce demand on energy grids nationwide which helps keep utility rates lower and frees up financial resources for family essentials, like groceries and medicine.  By expanding the program to include critical home repairs, we can alleviate economic hardship, address healthy housing disparities, and improve energy efficiency for those households who need it most,” said Senator Reed.

“The Weatherization Assistance Program is a proven, cost-effective way to permanently decrease energy usage while reducing low-income Americans’ energy bills,” said Senator Collins.  “This bipartisan bill would help build on the significant investments we have secured for the Weatherization Assistance Program so that more Americans are able to make improvements that will allow them to affordably heat their homes.”

“During the baking heat of summer and the freezing winds of winter, too many families across this country struggle to pay their heating and cooling bills,” said Senator Coons. “The Weatherization Assistance Program has already helped thousands of Delawareans trying to make ends meet, and this legislation lowers rising energy bills for thousands more by giving low-income families support to make their homes more energy efficient while creating new clean energy jobs and reducing the impact of climate change. 

Specifically, the bill would serve more low-income households that are currently unable to receive weatherization services because their homes are in need of significant repairs. The bill would authorize a Weatherization Readiness Fund, providing $30 million a year for five years to help those in need repair structural issues and prepare homes for weatherization assistance, increasing the number of homes the program is able to serve. It also seeks to raise the amount of funding allowed to be spent on each home to keep up with current labor and material costs and would raise the cap on the amount of funding allowed to be spent on renewable energy upgrades in each home. These provisions are essential updates to a program that has helped so many families over the past few decades.

The Weatherization Assistance Program helps homes become more energy efficient through measures like installing insulation, updating heating and cooling systems and updating electrical appliances. For every dollar invested by WAP, $4.50 is generated in combined energy savings and non-energy benefits such as improved health and job creation, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Since 1976, the Weatherization Assistance Program has helped more than seven million low-income families reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. The U.S Department of Energy estimates that these upgrades help each household save $283 in energy bills annually. In addition to saving families money, energy efficient homes also help cut down on our carbon footprint, reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

As a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Shaheen helped secure $3.5 billion in additional funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, including $18 million for New Hampshire. Shaheen has long-championed the Weatherization Assistance Program to lower energy costs for low-income families in New Hampshire, as well as the State Energy Program, which assists states with the development of energy efficiency renewable projects. In the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bills, Shaheen helped defend key efficiency programs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) from cuts, including securing $366 million for weatherization efforts and $66 million for the State Energy Program, which work to bring down energy bills for families and communities.

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