The proven benefits of weatherization remain, frustratingly, not well known. Some states are reaching out to politicians and communities, spreading the good word by demonstrating exactly what weatherization looks like.

by Payson Tilden

In 2001, the federal Department of Energy (DOE) celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), a nationwide project that upgrades low-income homes. Weatherization provides insulation for attics, walls, and floor areas; major air sealing, including repairs of windows and doors; and a health and safety inspection of combustible appliances. Over the years the program has reached a high level of technical sophistication, resulting in significant energy savings for the inhabitants of low-income homes. Yet many people are still unaware of its benefits. To address this gap, several states have initiated a new promotional effort called the Weatherization Demonstration House as an on-site, hands-on way to show federal, state, and local elected officials, community leaders and partners, the media, and even community action agency board members and staff exactly what happens when a home is “weatherized.”

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