Insulate Your Home Using Insulation Grants Available at Federal And State Levels There are grant programs available in the USA from the federal government and state government. Some electric utilities too have such programs. Family income is the main criteria for these grants and they are for existing buildings. No new construction is covered under the schemes..

Federal Programs

The department of Energy has a Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for helping low-income families. The assistance is provided to such families to improve the insulation of the building they live in. Loss of heat generated in buildings can be reduced through advanced technologies. These improvements will reflect in the energy consumption costs and the money saved will add to the income of the family concerned. The government encourages this as it translates into lesser energy consumption by the whole country with a reduced carbon footprint. The funding is provided by the federal government to the states. The states work through local community agencies and nonprofit bodies, and reach out to individuals in need of such assistance. Since its inception, some 33 years back, this program has benefitted a large number of low income households. Quite often, such programs require you to work with approved insulation contractors. Typically, these programs are for families of 4 and income below $44,000 a year (twice the poverty level).

Department of Energy tax credits

Department of Energy also has a program that provides up to $1500 tax credits or 30% of the cost of insulation incurred. This work should have been done on the primary residence of the US citizen, not his/her holiday home or any such subsequent home. This tax credit is not provided for new construction and only for existing dwelling.

Local level initiatives

Grants or subsidies are available locally at state level helping state residents. Loans also are available towards the cost of insulation. There is a well- known database available for such grants, loans, subsidies at the State University of NC. This database has details of such programs and is known as DSIRE. Some utilities provide assistance to low-income families.

Getting it done

You should start by finding what you can apply for and then apply for the same. You will have to work through approved insulation contractors, which you would be able to do from an available list. When the work is done, claim the credit, refund or grand as specified in the program.