Dept. of Human Services has funding available for low-income households
Lansing, Mich. – October 23, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — As another Michigan winter approaches, the state Department of Human Services (DHS) and Gov. Rick Snyder are encouraging residents to weatherize their homes now to save on heating costs later.
The average low-income family in Michigan saves $250 to $450 per year in heating, cooling and electric costs by weatherizing, DHS officials said. The department provides Weatherization Assistance Program dollars to local community action agencies and nonprofits to assist households that meet income requirements.
Snyder has proclaimed October to be Weatherization Month in Michigan and Oct. 30 to be Weatherization Day. The state is coming off record-cold temperatures last winter that inflated heating costs and strained the budgets of many families.
In 2013, 2,399 single-family homes in Michigan were weatherized using U.S. Department of Energy money and 511 were weatherized using federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program dollars.
Michigan’s Weatherization Assistance Program provides free home energy conservation services to homeowners and renters whose household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. That means a family of four with an annual income of $47,700 or less qualifies. Typical services include wall and foundation insulation, attic insulation and ventilation, air leakage reduction, smoke detectors and dryer venting.
Services are administered by local community action agencies and nonprofit organizations. Contact your local weatherization operator to get started or call 2-1-1 to get contact information for your local weatherization program.
Since the program began in 1977, more than 600,000 homes have been weatherized in Michigan. Every $1 invested generates $2.51 in energy savings and non-energy benefits.
