A bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today would repeal a $4.5 billion program that helps low- and moderate-income Americans reduce their energy bills through energy-saving home upgrades.
“These rebates are beginning to help families around the country make home energy upgrades that cut their utility bills,” said Jennifer Layke, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). “Pulling the rug out from under this program as so many face rising energy costs is callous. It is a blow to affordability.”
H.R. 4758 would repeal the authorization for the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program, which covers part of the upfront expense of improvements, including adding insulation and air sealing, installing an efficient heat pump or heat pump water heater, or purchasing a very efficient clothes dryer. The rebates, administered by states and tribes, are specifically for low- and moderate-income households. Nearly all states applied for their share of the funding and about a dozen have opened their programs, while others await Department of Energy approval of their detailed program plans.
The bill savings at stake are significant. For many households, choosing to take advantage of the rebates to make energy improvements can cut annual energy bills by hundreds of dollars per year, depending on the home and local energy prices.
H.R. 4758 would also repeal a program that provides states with funding for job training in home energy efficiency and electrification and a program that assists states and cities that choose to strengthen their building energy codes.
