Stimulus funds help weatherize Utah homes

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will receive $850,000 in federal stimulus money to help residents make their homes more energy efficient.

The performance-based, revolving loan program applies to homeowners whose annual income is at 150 to 200 percent of poverty level. For a family of four, that would be an annual income of $33,075 to $44,040. Previous funding has focused on low-income households exclusively.

The loans will be administered by the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development.

Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has resulted in 1,721 Utah homes being retrofitted for energy efficiency since Jan. 1, according to an announcement from U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday that more than 200,000 low-income homes nationwide have been weatherized in recent months in a drive to save families hundreds of dollars annually in energy costs. The government's target is 600,000 homes.

According to a recent study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, weatherization services save families an average of more than $400 in energy costs during the first year after home retrofits are installed.

— Carrie Moore