1 in 4 U.S. Households Are Held Back By a High Energy Burden.
- October 7, 2019
- Heat Smart
Energy Burden Higher For Those Who Can Least Afford It
When you spend 35% of your income on energy, you don’t have much left for food and medicine. Meanwhile, government budget cuts eviscerate safety net programs and hundreds of thousands lose access to basic necessities. How can America’s poor reduce energy use? Expensive energy-saving strategies such as adding insulation or new windows are a long shot for them, especially when Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funding gets cut.
State, community and utility assistance programs can play a key role in helping vulnerable Americans heat, cool and weatherize their homes. But we’re willing to bet that as you are planning your budgets for 2020 and beyond, you are frustrated by government cuts that limit your reach compared to the overall need. It’s time to take your budget planning frustration and channel it into action with private sector solutions and partnerships like Heat Smart.
At Heat Smart, we believe everyone deserves access to energy efficiency. And everyone deserves a chance to get ahead instead of being stuck in a cycle of poverty.
We developed our Heat Smart kits to make energy efficiency more accessible with a common-sense approach, low costs, and partnerships with assistance program experts who already know where the need is. The idea is simple: empower low-income families to reduce energy use by giving them the tools they need to turn the heat down and stay warm.
Already, we’ve partnered with hundreds of agencies, programs and utilities and distributed over 500,000 Heat Smart kits to needy families throughout the country. Heat Smart kits cost just $14.50 each – quite a return on investment when you consider one kit could help a family save nearly $200 on their heating bill every year. That’s based on DOE research that turning the heat down seven to ten degrees Fahrenheit overnight can save up to ten percent each year on heating bills. And, our new Nest bundle includes a Google Nest E-Thermostat at a reduced price to make thermostat setback even easier.
Smart planners know you need a robust mix of public and private solutions to reach more low-income families. For instance, the DOE’s regulations say some WAP funding can be channeled into training and technical assistance, such as providing information concerning conservation practices like Heat Smart kits do. LIHEAP Crisis Management and Assurance 16 funds may also be used toward Heat Smart kits to assist you in helping more families climb out of energy poverty, maximize your ROI, and reduce energy demand with a proven solution.
Ready to get started? Contact us anytime, or stop by our booth (#430) at the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials National Conference & Expo in San Antonio October 10-12. We’d be happy to chat about how we can work together to end energy poverty.
Let’s make next year a warmer one for more low income families.