Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) today heralded the approval of his legislation, H.R. 1355, the Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act, out of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy today. Tonko’s bipartisan legislation invests in home weatherization efforts to save low-income families hundreds of dollars on their energy bills while making homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient.
Tonko spoke in support of his legislation ahead of its advance out of committee by voice vote. His full remarks as prepared for delivery can be read below. His remarks delivered during today’s markup can be viewed HERE:
Weatherization works.
I mentioned earlier that the average household saves $372 on their energy bills each year after receiving services from DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.
This doesn’t even account for the health and safety benefits that come from being in a more livable home.
When a family goes through this program, it can be life changing. The low-income households that are eligible for the program spend about 14% of their income on energy costs, compared to 3% for other households.
But despite the program’s effectiveness, we know it can be improved.
First, the program’s authorization expired in September.
It was last reauthorized with strong bipartisan support in the Energy Act of 2020, which was signed into law by President Trump.
H.R. 1355 would reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program through Fiscal Year 2030.
Second, the program includes a limitation on how much assistance each home can receive, known as the Average Cost Per Unit.
This limit must not only cover the costs of materials, but labor as well.
Statutorily, the limit was set at $6,500 for 2010. It currently stands at about $8,500, and it can be increased annually based on the Consumer Price Index, up to 3%.
Unfortunately, inflation over the past several years has outpaced the program, and that is especially true for the cost of building materials.
This means each home receives fewer services, and there is downward pressure on wages for weatherization crews, making it harder to recruit and retain talent to carry out this work.
Raising the Average Cost Per Unit is a small adjustment that will benefit the long-term health of the program as well as the individual households receiving these services.
H.R. 1355 would re-set the ACPU to $12,000.
Finally, this bill would authorize the Weatherization Readiness Fund, an existing program at DOE that complements traditional weatherization.
In many states, more than 20% of eligible homes cannot receive weatherization because they are in such poor condition.
The Readiness Fund was established to overcome these health and safety issues to get more homes into the weatherization pipeline.
They may have a bad roof, mold, or any number of problems that would render weatherization ineffective or make it unsafe for a crew to work in that home.
I heard one story of a home needing to deal with a snake infestation in an attic before it could be insulated.
There are real barriers that prevent people from receiving weatherization, and the Readiness Fund has proven to work to lower those barriers.
The House Republicans’ Energy and Water Appropriations bill continues to fund the Readiness Program. If funding is going to continue, I think that we, as the Committee of jurisdiction, should actually authorize it.
Mr. Chairman, I understand there is still some work to do to reach agreement on a version of the bill that can be supported by everyone, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue those discussions.