WAP Weatherization Assistance Program

Weatherization and energy efficiency are key strategies to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels - oil, natural gas and coal -- and clean our air and water at the same time.  That improves the economy for both families and the nation... and our health care challenges.  Weatherization is a term given to government programs that assist low-income families, but the technologies and techniques of weatherization are important for EVERY HOME and EVERY BUSINESS / PUBLIC building.

EERE, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy -- is a  division of the DOE that researches high-performance solutions for buildings. Check them out for weatherization as well as energy efficiency technologies and techniques to improve your energy use, comfort and healthy indoor air quality.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program provides grants, technical assistance, and information tools to states, local governments, community action agencies, utilities, Indian tribes, and overseas U.S. territories for their energy programs. These programs coordinate with national goals to reduce petroleum consumption and increase the energy efficiency of the U.S. economy. They aim at market transformation to reduce market barriers to the cost effective adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

Weatherization Programs with WAP

• Funds are used to improve the energy performance of dwellings of needy families using the most advanced technologies and testing protocols available in the housing industry.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provides funding to states, U.S. overseas territories, and Indian tribal governments, which manage the day-to-day details of the program.
• These governments, in turn, fund a network of local community action agencies, nonprofit organizations, and local governments that provide these weatherization services in every state, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and among Native American tribes.

The energy conservation resulting from these efforts of state and local agencies helps our country reduce its dependence on foreign oil and decrease the cost of energy for families in need while improving the health and safety of their homes. During the past 33 years, WAP has provided weatherization services to more than 6.4 million low-income households. Families receiving weatherization services see their annual energy bills reduced by an average of about $350, depending on fuel prices. Because the energy improvements that make up weatherization services are long lived, the savings add up over time to substantial benefits for weatherization clients and their communities, and the nation as a whole.

Program Guidance 

Find DOE documents for grant recipients—states, U.S. overseas territories, and Indian tribal governments—for how to administer the Weatherization Assistance Program.

Recovery Act 

Find DOE guidance documents and instructions for grant recipients who will distribute $5 billion worth of weatherization services to low-income families. These materials include training videos, frequently asked questions for DOE administrators, and materials about how to comply with the Davis-Bacon Act requirements of the 2009 Recovery Act.

• Recovery Act Funding to the States
• Training and Technical Assistance Plan
• Historic Preservation Programmatic Agreements