CHARLOTTE, N.C. â The Biden Administration and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have announced DOE has over $3.1 billion total in new funding available through DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) to be used to retrofit eligible low-income homes to be more energy-efficient.
Retrofitting could include installing insulation, updating heating and cooling systems, upgrading electrical appliances, and taking other common-sense actions that will make homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer with less energy usage.
South Carolina has been allocated a total of $42,582,236 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's (BIL) funding -- $35,120,135 in Enhancement and Innovation (E&I) grants; $7,462,101 in Training and Technical Assistance.
North Carolina has been allocated a total of $89,776,045 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's (BIL) funding -- $74,089,470 in Enhancement and Innovation (E&I) grants; $15,686,575 in Training and Technical Assistance.
Although the funds are available, qualified firms within individual states must still apply for the monies with that state's WAP program.
In South Carolina, applications are accepted through the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). Homeowner eligibility must also be established. In South Carolina, preference will be given to
- people age 60 years or older
- families with at least one family member disabled
- households with children under the age of 18
Annual and monthly incomes will also be a factor of eligibility. For more information, visit oeo.sc.gov/weatherization. If you receive Supplemental Security Income or Aid to Families with Dependent Children, you are automatically eligible to receive weatherization services.
According to DOE, between 2010 and 2021, South Carolina weatherized an average of 437 homes per year with formula funds.
In North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) administers the Weatherization Assistance Program with annual funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.
In 2015, $23 million in federal grants allowed more than 1,600 homes to be weatherized and over 1,200 heating and air units in homes to be repaired or replaced throughout the state.
Applications in North Carolina must be placed with the designated local service provider for the county in which you live. NC DEQ has a county-by-county listing on its website.