WASHINGTON — The White House will release a plan today to remove some of the obstacles that deter middle-class Americans from getting energy audits and making their homes more energy-efficient.
America’s nearly 130 million homes generate about 20 percent of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide, says a report being released today by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Vice President Joe Biden’s Middle Class Task Force.
Biden said the plan would add jobs and make it easier for families to save money and reduce emissions.
Installing more insulation and more energy-efficient doors, windows, lighting and appliances can reduce energy use in a house by as much as 40 percent, meaning considerable monthly savings on utility bills.
The new program is intended to expand the energy retrofit market beyond the $5 billion weatherization program for low-income households.
The report also suggests financing options:
• Add the cost of retrofits to the property tax bill.
• Make energy efficiency expenses part of the mortgage when a house is bought or refinanced.
• Expand state revolving loan funds offering low interest rates for weatherization.
