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Sixteen thousand low income families in Washington state have taken advantage of a federally-funded program offering free home weatherization. That figure covers the past three years when the subsidy program got a big boost from the federal economic stimulus bill.
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu says insulation, caulking and weather stripping upgrades make a real difference during hard times.
“Weatherization services can lower energy bills,” Chu says. “On average, families save more than $400 on their heating and cooling bills alone during the first year after a home is weatherized.”[END WEB QUOTE]
Chu said Thursday the weatherization program has exceeded the economic stimulus bill’s goal for Washington state by thousands of homes after getting off to a slow start.
The Energy Department is now trying to figure out how to capture anticipated energy savings to make weatherization programs more self-supporting in the future.
(This was first reported by the Northwest News Network.)
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