Although it is still summer, people in our state and throughout the Northeast already are worried about winter. As I talk to Mainers, I hear time and again how worried they are about how they are going to heat their homes this winter and deal with the skyrocketing price of home heating oil.
There is no question that our nation must make a forward-looking commitment to energy independence. I have outlined such a commitment in my 10-Point Energy Plan, which sets a goal of energy independence by the year 2020. At the same time, however, we cannot overlook the immediate crisis and the real concerns our citizens have about staying warm and safe this coming winter.
One of the most effective and immediate ways we can help people stretch their energy dollars is throughout weatherization. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, insulating walls and attics, sealing drafty doors and windows, and repairing or replacing outdated or faulty heating equipment can save, on average, as much as 32 percent in fuel consumption. Before the current price spike, the Department estimated that weatherization saved the average household $358 per year. This winter, the cost of fuel will be higher, and so will the savings.
For 30 years, the Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP, has helped low-income families and seniors weatherize their homes. This year, just when this help is needed more than ever, this invaluable program is threatened. I am firmly opposed to President Bush’s proposal to eliminate WAP. The Energy Department spending bill before the Senate is also inadequate because it would cut WAP funding for next winter by $26 million compared to this year and by $40 million from 2007.
Last week, I teamed up with Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota to lead a bipartisan effort calling on Senate appropriators to increase WAP funding to at least the 2007 level of $240 million, and preferably, to double funding. At an average cost of $2,700 per home, the additional $40 million we call for would help nearly 15,000 households in need of weatherization.
The Department of Energy estimates that more than 16 million homes are eligible for WAP and would benefit from energy-saving improvements. But the benefits of weatherization go far beyond lower fuel bills. Reducing energy demand helps toward the goal of energy independence and also decreases the environmental impacts of energy production. Experts say that weatherizing a home heated with natural gas eliminates 0.85 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, and the reductions are even greater for homes heated by oil or electricity produced by oil or coal power plants.
In addition, there are safety benefits. Many of the homes eligible for weatherization are older and often have faulty wiring, furnaces, boilers, or chimneys. The technicians who enter homes often spot problems that put the residents at risk and correct them.
The economic benefits of weatherization are substantial. Each weatherized household, of course, has more money to spend on other necessities that it would have spent on heating an inefficient house. This is especially important for low-income households, which typically spend 14 percent or more of their income on energy. According to the National Association for State Community Services Programs, for every dollar spent, WAP returns $2.72 in energy and non-energy benefits over the life of the weatherized home.
Weatherization is labor-intensive, so it is a valuable job-creator, especially in low-income communities. WAP has helped grow a local home energy industry that serves business and households of all income levels. Nationwide, weatherization supports 8,000 technical jobs in low-income communities, which represents about 52 jobs for every $1 million of federal investment.
More funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program is essential for people here in Maine and across the country as another winter approaches. This investment in weatherization will pay dividends for years to come in achieving energy independence, environmental protection, safety, and economic development.