Weatherization assistance in Michigan

Michigan is receiving  hundreds of millions of dollars in federal government stimulus funds to weatherize homes. The state will use the funding from the Recovery Act to provide weatherization assistance and services to over 35,000 homes over the next few years. The state of Michigan has its own weatherization program that will provide free home energy audits and weatherization upgrades that will lower utility bills and energy consumption in low to moderate income households across the state. The program is administered by the Department of Human Services, which is actually a federal agency. Each family that applies for the program will receive a free, unique audit to determine which activities and what types of upgrades to the home are the most cost effective. Some of the most common weatherization procedures and upgrades that are performed include the insulation, repair, and sealing of ducts and the installation of extra insulation in attics and walls. In addition, weatherization funds can also be used to replace energy consuming refrigerators and water heaters and install energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs among other things.

There should be even more money going to the state though. After Michigan demonstrates successful implementation and results of its plan, including helping people lower their utility bills, the state will receive over $120 million in additional weatherization funding, for a total of more than $243 million to help update homes. In addition to Michigan’s program, millions of dollars in home weatherization money has been sent to states and local counties all over the country.

When all is said and done, the weatherization assistance program will allow an average investment of up to $6,500 per home to assist the homeowner with saving on their energy bills. What this means is that a family of 4 could make no more than about $44,000 a year - or twice the federal poverty level - to be eligible for assistance.

However, it has been determined that much of the money for the program will be used to add additional insulation and seal leaks around the doors and windows of low-income residents' houses and public buildings. The second biggest use of the money will be used to modernize heating and air conditioning.

Some examples of the funding include Genesee County, which is getting $11 million for home weatherization improvements over the next three years. The money for this program will be managed by the neighborhood service center director for GCARD, which administers the weatherization program in Genesee County. To date they have assisted about 500 homeowners.