Weatherization Day to Honor U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program
FRANKFORT, Kentucky — Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) joins the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) in celebrating National Weatherization Day on October 30.
KHC’s Single Family Development staff traveled the Commonwealth this summer, partnering with Community Action Agencies and groups throughout the state to help Kentuckians weatherize their homes and cut their energy bills. To see some of their work, watch the video above.
Weatherization Day honors WAP, the nation’s largest residential energy efficiency program, which enables low-income families to lower their energy bills by making their homes or rentals more energy efficient. The program started in the 1970s to install energy-efficient windows and doors but has evolved to cover a range of measures that reduce utilities costs for residents.
KHC receives WAP funds from the DOE and disperses them within the Commonwealth through Community Action Kentucky’s Community Action Agencies. WAP funds provide for trained crews and quality control inspectors to install insulation, seal exteriors, repair ducts, replace heating equipment and more, saving residents as much as $500 in utility bills per year. Crews also install carbon monoxide and smoke alarms, where needed, and inspect the installation and ventilation of gas appliances, among other health and safety procedures.
This year, in addition to the annual DOE dispersal, KHC received $52 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to cover weatherization costs for the next five years. Interested Kentuckians should contact their local community action agency to see if they qualify and to apply for assistance.
WAP is just one of the many KHC initiatives that help Kentucky families and individuals live in quality housing they can afford.
Those who are not approved for the weatherization program may still be eligible for utility bill support through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that helps an estimated 150,000 families reduce heating costs each winter.
For KHC’s Residential Energy Efficiency Training Center (REE Center), every day is Weatherization Day. Center staff offer training courses for construction, building and energy efficiency professionals to teach them how to make homes and buildings more energy efficient. Learn more about the facility or register for one of the classes.
