Free home weatherization.
Most people who qualify
have never heard of it.
The Weatherization Assistance Program provides free insulation, air sealing, and heating and cooling improvements to qualifying households in every state. No application fee. No repayment. Available right now.
What the Weatherization Assistance Program actually pays for.
WAP doesn't just add insulation. A trained energy auditor comes to your home, finds where energy is being lost, and lines up work across everything that affects your energy costs and your family's health and safety.
Attic, wall, and floor insulation to keep heat in during winter and out during summer. Often the single biggest energy waste in older homes.
Gaps around windows, doors, pipes, and electrical outlets where the air you paid to heat or cool escapes. A sealed home uses much less energy.
Furnace tune-ups, heat pump installations, and replacements for failing systems that are unsafe or use far more power than they should.
Hot water heater upgrades and pipe insulation. Heating water is usually 15-20% of a household's energy bill.
Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Safety checks on anything in your home that burns fuel. Repair of health hazards tied to your home's energy systems.
A trained energy advisor explains what was done, why it was done, and how to keep your energy use low going forward. No charge for this either.
The income threshold is broader than most programs.
WAP is open to households at or below 200% of the federal poverty level — a much broader limit than most income-based programs. You don't need to be in deep poverty to qualify. A family of four earning up to roughly $62,400 in most areas meets the income threshold.
"200% FPL" simply means twice the federal poverty level — the income line the federal government publishes each year for each household size.
| Household size | Annual income limit (approximate, 200% FPL 2026) |
|---|---|
| 1 person | up to $29,160 |
| 2 people | up to $39,440 |
| 3 people | up to $49,720 |
| 4 people | up to $60,000 |
| 5 people | up to $70,280 |
| 6 people | up to $80,560 |
These figures are approximate. Exact income limits vary slightly by state and are updated every year. Your local WAP provider will confirm whether you qualify at no cost.
Priority households
In most states these households qualify automatically or move to the front of the line:
Three steps. All free. No complex forms.
WAP is run through local community action agencies — nonprofit groups in your own community. Every county in America has one. Two ways to find yours:
Call your local agency and ask about WAP eligibility. They will ask how many people live in your home and roughly what your household earns. The call is free. You are not committing to anything by calling.
What to have ready:
If you qualify, a trained energy auditor visits your home — free of charge — to find which improvements would make the biggest difference. You approve the work plan before anything starts.
The work is done by trained, certified contractors. There is no cost to you.
What actually happens after you call.
Eligibility confirmed by phone or in person. They ask for proof of income — usually a pay stub, a benefit letter, or a tax return.
Your home energy audit is scheduled. A certified auditor visits, tests how much air is leaking out of your home, checks your heating and cooling, and lists the improvements that matter most.
The work gets done by certified contractors. How long it takes depends on what they found. Air sealing can take a day. Replacing a heating system takes longer.
A final inspection confirms the work meets quality standards. You get paperwork showing what was done. Most households see a smaller energy bill within the first billing cycle.
WAP stacks with HEAR, HOMES, and community solar.
Weatherization is usually the best first step — a sealed, well-insulated home makes every other energy upgrade work better. Here's how WAP fits into a full energy savings plan.
WAP and HEAR cannot pay for the SAME equipment in the same project — but they CAN cover different work. WAP for insulation and air sealing, HEAR for the heat pump itself. The U.S. Department of Energy explicitly encourages this combination, and it gets you the most out of both programs.
HEAR heat pump rebates →Community solar needs nothing from your home — no installation, no changes to your building. You can be on the WAP waitlist AND signed up for community solar at the same time. The community solar savings start right away while you wait for weatherization.
Community solar →LIHEAP — the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program — helps pay your heating and cooling bills. WAP lowers the bills LIHEAP helps pay. The two are built to work together, and your local WAP agency can often help you sign up for LIHEAP at the same time.
Bill assistance →Ready to check if you qualify?
It costs nothing to call your local agency. The worst that can happen is they tell you that you don't qualify. The best is free home improvements that lower your bill for years.
United Way's free helpline connects you to local services 24 hours a day.