WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 21, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Vermont’s Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program helps income-eligible residents, particularly older Vermonters, people with disabilities, and families with children, to save fuel and money by improving the energy efficiency of their homes.
Weatherization is one of the best investments we can make as a state. Unfortunately, this year the program is set to lose nearly 20% of its funding, which means fewer at-risk Vermonters will be able to make their homes more efficient.
Not only is Weatherization great for the environment, typically slashing fossil fuel use by 30-40% per home served, it’s good for Vermont’s economy. For every dollar invested in low-income weatherization and efficiency efforts, approximately $2.50 is returned to the household and the community.
Last year, the program helped yearly 2,000 Vermont families weatherize their homes, cut their dependence on dirty, dangerous fossil fuels, and save money, but cutting funding to the program means fewer homes weatherized.
The State has set a goal of weatherizing 20,000 low-income homes by the year 2020, but we’re still 14,000 homes away from meeting that commitment. While we need to be doing much more to meet Vermont’s efficiency and global warming goals, at a minimum we need to make sure that Vermont’s most vulnerable citizens aren’t left out in the cold.
Tell your legislators Vermont needs to make funding Weatherization a priority.
As a state we need to do far more to cut our climate pollution and get off of fossil fuels, and we should start by supporting the programs we have that are working. Keeping Weatherization funded is critical, and we’ll keep you in the loop on how you can help.
Source: Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG)
