Fighting Energy Poverty
• Low-income households, including the elderly, disabled or families with children who can’t afford home energy
• $413 or more in annual utility bill savings year after year
• Energy savings average for gas-heated homes is 23% of pre-weatherization consumption
• More household money is made available for other basic necessities, medicine or groceries
• In 2008, weatherized homes nationally will save $1.9 billion for low-income families
The Economy
• $204.6 million weatherization funds cost-effectively
invested by DOE in low-income energy efficiency
for 2007
• Provides 8,000 direct jobs and thousands more of
indirect employment
• Insurance policy against future price increases;
when a low-income home is weatherized, both its
energy bill and fuel consumption are reduced each
year for many years to come. In times of energy
supply and price problems, weatherization
recipients are better able to cope with rising prices.
• Community benefits from energy efficient housing
stock and increased economic activity
Climate Change
• Reduces residential and power plant
emissions of carbon dioxide by 1.79
ton/year per home
• Over the life of the measures, saves 35.8
tons of CO2 emissions per house
• Weatherization decreases national energy
consumption by the equivalent of 18 million
barrels of oil annually
Investment in America
• 100,000 homes Weatherized each year.
• For every $1 invested in the program,
Weatherization returns $2.72 to the household and
society.
- $1.65 is returned in reduced energy bills
- $1.07 is returned to ratepayers, households, and
communities through:
•increased local employment
•reduced uncollectible utility bills
•improved housing quality
•better health and safety
- reduces heat-related illness and death
- reduces risk of death from home
fires due to utility disconnection
Sources: ORNL/CON-493,
ORNL/CON-484, EIA February
2008 Short Term Energy Outlook
Updated July 2008
