Low-income households spend around 14 percent of their income on energy costs. For other households the figure sits closer to 3 percent. The gap has less to do with usage habits than with housing stock. Older homes with poor insulation, gaps around doors and windows, and aging heating equipment cost far more to keep at a livable temperature. The Weatherization Assistance Program run by the U.S. Department of Energy pays to fix those problems for qualifying households. The work is done at no cost to the homeowner or renter.
What the program covers
A contractor approved by your state’s program comes out to assess the home first. The work that follows depends on what the assessment finds. Covered services include:
- Insulation in walls, attics, and crawl spaces
- Air sealing around doors, windows, and other openings
- Pipe insulation for water and heating lines
- Water heater replacement, including solar-powered units where applicable
- Programmable thermostat installation
- LED lighting upgrades
- Roof and wall leak repairs
- Mold and moisture hazard identification and remediation
The Department of Energy estimates households save around $400 per year on energy bills after work is completed. Some households see that number go higher. The DOE attributes an additional $500 per year in savings for some households to reductions in medical costs, since a home that holds temperature reliably produces fewer cold and heat-related health problems.
Who qualifies
States use one of two income definitions. Under DOE guidelines, household income has to fall at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The 2024 figures for that threshold:
4-person household: under $62,400 per year
6-person household: under $83,920 per year
Some states instead apply the Department of Health and Human Services definition, which sets the cutoff at 60 percent of state median income. That number moves considerably by location. In New Mexico the 60 percent cutoff for a four-person household lands around $45,660. In the District of Columbia the same calculation produces $95,797. Illinois sits at $67,607 for that household size.
People on Native American reservations and tribal lands may fall under separate income standards. Your local tribal government can tell you what applies in your area.
Renters can apply
Owning the home is not a requirement. Renters qualify under the same income standards. The program contacts your landlord before any work begins and gets approval first. Most landlords agree without much pushback since the work costs them nothing and improves the property. Having a conversation with your landlord before you submit the application tends to remove delays later.
How to apply
The DOE’s state contacts page lists the administering agency for every state. Each state runs its own version of the program with its own application process, waitlist, and available services. What the program covers in one state is not necessarily what it covers in the next.
Documents most states require at application:
- Proof of income from the past year, which can include pay stubs, tax returns, and Social Security or government benefit statements
- Proof of residency
- Landlord contact information if you rent
After submitting you go onto a waitlist. Several months is a reasonable expectation before work begins. Funding is distributed on a first-come basis out of a fixed annual budget. Applying early in the program year is worth doing for that reason.
How much work gets done
No fixed dollar cap applies universally. The scope of work depends on what the home assessment finds and what your state’s program has available to spend. The current funding cycle started with $3.5 billion in the 2022 fiscal year, which gave many states more capacity than prior years allowed.
For your state’s program details visit the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program page or reach your state energy office directly.