Moderate-income weatherization program

VERMONT - Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program. The program, funded by $9 million from the state and overseen by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, will use an innovative on-bill payment model to help moderate-income Vermonters participate in comprehensive home energy projects.
WRAP will allow Vermont households to pay for qualifying weatherization projects like insulation and air sealing as well as heat pumps and advanced wood heating systems through a monthly charge on their utility bill that can be paid back over time. Both homeowners and renters can participate in the program.
Although the program is open to Vermonters of all incomes, the majority of program funding will be targeted to households earning between 80% to 120% of the area median income. Households earning 80% AMI or less are eligible for free services through the state’s existing Weatherization Assistance Program.
WRAP’s on-bill payment mechanism intends to address challenges commonly encountered in weatherization, including high upfront costs and limited access to credit. WRAP will not run credit checks on customers, instead verifying a clean utility bill payment history. If a customer moves, the next occupant of the property will pay the surcharge for the time they occupy the property and experience the benefits of the measures.
VHFA anticipates that WRAP will begin funding projects early next year. Customers interested in learning more can contact Vermont Gas Systems at https://vgsvt.com/weatherization-repayment-assistance-program, for all VGS customers; Burlington Electric Department at burlingtonelectric.com/contact or (802) 865-7300, for all BED customers; or Efficiency Vermont at (888) 921-5990, for all others.