Prepping homes for winter: Button Up workshop + government resources
Nov. 6, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout
A technician installs cellular insulation material in an attic. Photo courtesy of Efficiency Vermont
November chills bring the perennial question: Is it finally time to weatherize this drafty house?
If your home always feels cold in the wintertime, it might benefit from some weatherization upgrades to make it more comfortable and save energy.
This Friday, Nov. 10, Waterbury LEAP is hosting a free Button Up Weatherization & Home Heating Workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Steele Community Room at the Waterbury Municipal Center next to the public library. No registration is required.
At this free event an Efficiency Vermont expert will discuss the most common ways homes lose energy, steps you can take to tighten up your house, energy audits, and details about energy-efficient heat pumps.
The presentation will also cover the topics of loans and financial incentives to help pay for getting the work done, and rebates available to those affected by recent flooding.
Waterbury LEAP will provide free pizza, drinks, and energy-efficiency raffle prizes. Don’t stay cold this winter. Learn how to warm your house and save money. For more information email Duncan McDougall at duncan@clifonline.org.
Waterbury LEAP (Local Energy Action Partnership) is Waterbury’s volunteer-run town Energy Committee since 2007.
Vermont to receive $20 million in federal heat assistance
Other recent news on the home-heating front came from Vermont’s Congressional delegation.
Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) along with Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) announced that Vermont will receive more than $20.7 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds this year.
“As Vermonters prepare for colder months, we are proud to announce this critical funding for home heating,” the Vermont delegation said in a joint statement. “Heating costs are rising, and we must do more to make sure all Vermonters have everything they need to get through winter. These funds will also help many Vermonters who are beginning to rebuild and recover after the devastating summer floods.”
The funds can be used to help low-income individuals and families pay their home heating costs and cooling bills in the summer. LIHEAP can be used to weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient, and can be used during disasters and extreme weather to mitigate energy emergencies.
The delegation announced that initial funding will come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a downpayment on Vermont’s total annual share of LIHEAP funding, which will be determined once Congress passes a final appropriations bill for fiscal year 2024. The early release is meant to make funds available as winter begins.
There is a new online LIHEAP Eligibility Tool that allows people to determine if they might be eligible for LIHEAP assistance by putting in details such as household income and size. More information on how to apply is available from state government at dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/fuel or by calling 1-800-479-6151.