Home weatherization spans public programs, household improvements, insulation, air sealing, windows, and related building-shell work. U.S. measurements range from the Weatherization Assistance Program’s cumulative reach since 1976 to household surveys covering 2009 and 2021–2023, so the figures below identify their populations, periods, units, and limitations.
Key Home Weatherization Statistics
The most useful U.S. home weatherization statistics include:
- More than 7.2 million families had their homes improved through WAP from 1976–2024 in the United States.
- Approximately 32,000 homes were weatherized each year with DOE funds under the current U.S. WAP program description.
- WAP supported about 8,500 jobs in the United States under the current program description.
- The 2023 AHS estimated 86.9 million homeowners in the United States during 2021–2023.
- An estimated 14.7 million homeowners made energy-efficiency improvements during 2021–2023, representing 28% of homeowners who made improvements.
- Average annual WAP savings were estimated at $372 per household in 2022 dollars for low-income U.S. households.
- The average WAP weatherization cost was estimated at $4,695 per unit in 2022 dollars.
- Low-income households spent an estimated 13.9% of annual income on energy in the WAP fact sheet’s comparison period, versus 3.0% for all U.S. households.
- More than 1 million homes were weatherized with ARRA funding from 2009–2012 in the United States.
- More than 40 million householders, or 35%, reported caulking or weather-stripping in the 2009 RECS.
- Twenty-six million householders, or 23%, reported adding insulation in the 2009 RECS.
- Fifty-eight percent of U.S. primary-residence housing units had energy-efficient multi-pane windows in the 2009 RECS.
- PY2008 gas-heated WAP homes saved 680 kWh of net electricity per year, or 7.1% of pre-weatherization use across all climates.
- PY2008 agency-crew building-shell work produced 194 net therms of annual gas savings, or 19.5% in evaluated gas-heated single-family site-built homes.
- PY2008 low-income homeowners had mean energy expenditures of $2,112 per year in the adjusted RECS-based estimate.
- Homeowners spent $827 billion on improvements during 2021–2023 according to the 2023 AHS.
- The median HVAC improvement cost was $5,500 per project during 2021–2023.
- The 2023 AHS counted 5.0 million HVAC projects during 2021–2023.
Contents
- National home weatherization scale and participation
- Weatherization Assistance Program reach, costs, and savings
- Insulation, air sealing, and window improvement data
- Weatherization energy savings by fuel, climate, and approach
- Low-income energy burden and weatherization need
- Home improvement spending and measured outcomes
National Home Weatherization Scale and Participation
The federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) provides the clearest long-run measure of publicly supported weatherization. DOE reports that WAP improved more than 7.2 million families’ homes from 1976–2024, while another DOE program statement reports more than 7 million homes during the program’s first 40 years, 1976–2016; the family and home counts are not identical units.
DOE, Weatherization Assistance Program
Current DOE program materials estimate that approximately 32,000 homes are weatherized each year using DOE funds and that WAP supports about 8,500 jobs. The annual figure is an approximate program estimate and is not a full national total across every funding source.
The program’s ARRA period was unusually large. More than 1 million homes were weatherized with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding from 2009–2012, which should not be treated as ordinary annual WAP throughput.
Household improvement surveys show a much broader market than WAP alone. The 2023 American Housing Survey (AHS) estimated 86.9 million U.S. homeowners in 2021–2023, and 51.6 million homeowners made some type of home improvement, equal to 59% of homeowners.
The same AHS estimated that 14.7 million homeowners made energy-efficiency improvements. That equals 28% of homeowners who made improvements, not 28% of all homeowners, and the survey measure is self-reported activity.
Weatherization Assistance Program Reach, Costs, and Savings
DOE’s 2022 WAP fact sheet estimated approximately 35,000 DOE-funded homes served per year, compared with the later program-page estimate of approximately 32,000. Both are approximate DOE-funded throughput measures, and neither is a retail whole-home retrofit market estimate.
| WAP measure | Figure | Period or basis |
|---|---|---|
| Average homes served | Approximately 35,000/year | 2022 program description |
| Average weatherization cost | $4,695/unit | 2022 dollars |
| Average annual savings | $372/household/year | 2022 dollars |
| Supported jobs | 8,500 | 2022 fact sheet |
DOE, Weatherization Assistance Program Fact Sheet
The $4,695 average is a program cost per unit, not a quoted price for every private-market home. The $372 annual savings figure is a national evaluation average for low-income WAP households; actual results vary with the home, fuel, and location.
The retrospective evaluation illustrates how scale and outcomes differed between program years. It covered 98,000 weatherized units in Program Year 2008 and 332,000 units in Program Year 2010, the latter during the ARRA period.
| Evaluation measure | PY2008 | PY2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Weatherized units | 98,000 | 332,000 |
| Estimated energy savings | 2.3 trillion Btu | 7.6 trillion Btu |
| Estimated energy-cost savings | $420 million | $1.2 billion |
| Estimated environmental benefits | $267 million | $694 million |
| Estimated health and household benefits | $1.2 billion | $3.8 billion |
Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program: Impact results
The evaluation estimated average total benefits of $22,000 per weatherized unit against $4,700 average cost in PY2008, and $20,000 against $6,800 in PY2010. These totals include modeled energy and non-energy benefits, so they are not equivalent to household cash savings.
Insulation, Air Sealing, and Window Improvement Data
The 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) provides national self-reported indicators for common envelope improvements. More than 40 million householders, or 35%, reported using caulking or weather-stripping, while 26 million, or 23%, reported adding insulation.
EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2009 overview
Window characteristics also varied by home age in the 2009 RECS. About 80% of homes built after 2000 had double- or triple-pane energy-efficient windows, compared with about 52% of homes built before 1990.
| 2009 RECS indicator | Share | Defined population |
|---|---|---|
| Energy-efficient multi-pane windows | 58% | U.S. primary-residence housing units |
| Double- or triple-pane windows | About 80% | Homes built after 2000 |
| Double- or triple-pane windows | About 52% | Homes built before 1990 |
| Caulking or weather-stripping reported | 35% | Primary-residence householders |
| Insulation added reported | 23% | Primary-residence householders |
These are survey estimates rather than inspections of installation quality, insulation area, air leakage, or window performance. The age-group comparison describes the 2009 housing stock and is not a current construction-stock estimate.
The 2023 AHS supplies newer but broader project categories. Among improving homeowners’ projects, 25% were HVAC projects, while 32% involved a water heater, dishwasher, or garbage disposal and 21% involved flooring, paneling, or ceiling tile; those categories are not weatherization-only measures.
The AHS also counted 5.0 million HVAC projects and 7.5 million doors/windows projects during 2021–2023. Doors/windows work can include non-energy projects, and HVAC includes equipment work beyond building-shell weatherization.
Weatherization Energy Savings by Fuel, Climate, and Work Approach
The PY2008 national evaluation measured different results by fuel, climate, and work approach. For gas-heated single-family site-built homes, all-climate net electricity savings were 680 kWh per year, or 7.1% of pre-weatherization use.
| Climate subgroup | Net electricity savings | Share of pre-weatherization use |
|---|---|---|
| Very Cold | 697 kWh/year | 7.6% |
| Cold | 666 kWh/year | 7.5% |
| Moderate | 823 kWh/year | 6.9% |
| Hot-Humid | 925 kWh/year | 6.9% |
| Hot-Dry | 251 kWh/year | 3.4% |
National Weatherization Assistance Program Evaluation: Retrospective Evaluation of PY 2008
The Hot-Humid and Hot-Dry rows were based on only 49 and 57 homes, respectively, so those subgroup estimates are imprecise. The evaluation also cautioned that some climate-zone differences were not statistically significant.
For gas savings, contractor-performed building-shell work produced 179 net therms per year, or 17.2%, while agency-crew work produced 194 therms, or 19.5%. Priority-list audits produced 192 therms, or 19.6%, and software/calculation audits produced 178 therms, or 16.4%; these are observational comparisons within the evaluation.
A separate peer-reviewed Michigan study of approximately 30,000 households estimated an average annual return of approximately -7.8% for the WAP treatment period. It included broader societal benefits, was model-dependent, and should not be generalized to every retrofit, household, or climate.
Do Energy Efficiency Investments Deliver? Evidence from the Weatherization Assistance Program
Low-Income Energy Burden and Weatherization Need
The WAP eligible-population analysis used adjusted 2005 RECS data for Program Year 2008. It estimated national low-income energy expenditures at $1,879 per year and mean energy burden at 13.9% of income.
| Low-income group | Mean energy expenditure | Mean energy burden |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowners | $2,112/year | 15.3% of income |
| Renters | $1,622/year | 12.4% of income |
| All low-income households | $1,879/year | 13.9% of income |
National Weatherization Assistance Program Evaluation: Eligible Population Report
The climate estimates also varied. Very Cold climate low-income households had mean energy expenditures of $2,135 per year, while Hot/Dry households had $1,316; Hot/Humid households had a mean energy burden of 16.6%.
DOE’s WAP fact sheet gives 13.9% as the low-income comparison burden and 3.0% as the burden for all U.S. households. The populations and periods are defined by that fact sheet, and the low-income figure is not limited to WAP participants.
Home Improvement Spending and Weatherization-Related Outcomes
The 2023 AHS estimated $827 billion in homeowner improvement spending during 2021–2023. Among homeowners who made improvements, median spending was $6,500, but this includes all improvement types rather than weatherization alone.
| AHS category | Projects or median | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | 5.0 million projects; $5,500 median | $68.9 billion |
| Doors/windows | 7.5 million projects; $2,800 median | $51.0 billion |
| Flooring/paneling/ceiling tile | — | $45.2 billion |
| Roofing | — | $93.5 billion |
U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 Home Improvements
The AHS reported that 36% of 140 million home-improvement projects were DIY and 64% were completed by professionals during 2021–2023. Those shares apply to all home-improvement projects, not weatherization projects specifically.
Roofing, HVAC, doors, and windows can affect a home’s envelope or energy use, but the AHS expenditures do not measure weatherization savings. The survey therefore provides context for the broader improvement market while WAP evaluations provide the program-specific energy and benefit estimates.