Home Weatherization Assistance ProgramOne of the best kept secrets in Ohio is our HWAP program. HWAP, Ohio's program for home weatherization, has been around for a number of years and has helped nearly a third of a million families save money on their heating energy bills. Applying for HWAP is easy and, if you are approved, costs you nothing. It's totally free. Once you are accepted into the program, a HWAP representative will come to your home to do an energy audit with you. They'll tell you what they can do for you, show you lots of easy ways to save energy and schedule appointments to do the work. You'll start seeing the savings in a mere month or two. It's really a great program and we encourage everyone to apply if they are eligible. As your landlord, we'll be glad to help you with your application and cooperate with HWAP providers. WHAT, EXACTLY, IS HWAP? Ohio's Home Weatherization Assistance Program is a federally funded low-income residential energy efficiency program. The program reduces low-income households' energy use, thus creating more affordable housing for those in most need. Services include attic, wall and basement insulation; blower-door-guided air leakage reduction; heating system repairs or replacements; and health and safety testing and inspections. All measures are provided based on an on-site energy audit and on cost-effective guidelines developed using the NEAT computerized energy audit. Individualized client education is an important component of the program. WHO BENEFITS FROM HWAP? Households at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, PIPP (Percentage of Income Payment Plan) participants, PIPP eligible households or households participating Supplemental Security Income qualify for this no-cost program. After weatherization, households that heat with natural gas reduce space heating consumption by an average of 24.7%, and electrically heated homes reduce usage by 13% on average. HWAP participants increased the percentage of utility bills that they pay and the rate of disconnections of utility service for this group decreased by 50%. WHAT DOES HWAP MEAN TO OHIO? HWAP has weatherized more than 304,000 dwellings in Ohio since 1977. This will result in a reduction of 376 million pounds of CO2 emissions, 840 thousand pounds of NOx and 2.3 million pounds of SOx. Statewide, HWAP has created approximately 403 skilled jobs that provide energy conservation services. Numerous other subcontractors and suppliers benefit from this work. HWAP has served as the model for the development of energy efficiency programs offered by Ohio's utility companies. WHAT MAKES OHIO'S PROGRAM DISTINCTIVE? Ohio was one of the first states to incorporate blower-door usage, combustion appliance analysis testing for efficiency and safety, and client education as an integral part of the program. The Ohio Weatherization Training Center trains all field staff in state-of-the-art techniques for cost-effectively and safely reducing the energy burden in all types of structures. All programs are monitored annually for cost effectiveness and accountability by Department of Development staff. Periodically, the State contracts for statewide program evaluations. The 2006 evaluation, which evaluated the 2003 program year, found that the program is cost effective. For more information, you can email Stephanie McCormick, Office of Energy Efficiency, or call her at (614) 466-8608. HOW DO I GET STARTED? Getting started is easy. Simply download the HWAP application right here. It explains eligibility criteria and what proof you need. If you need copies of documents to submit, come into our office and we'll be glad to help you with that. Call the agency office serving your community and set up an appointment. You can get maps and directions right here on this page. If you need to fax your application or other materials, we'll help with that too. Once you get approved, they'll walk you through the steps to get everything done. If they need our consent for anything, we'll be glad to work with them. You'll be amazed at how good they are getting this done. AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION FRANKLIN & LEBANON RESIDENTS MIDDLETOWN RESIDENTS Quality homes at affordable prices by Arts Rentals |