WAP is designed to reduce energy costs for eligible clients by making their homes more energy efficient. The program focuses on assisting the elderly, disabled and low-income families with young children. Energy efficiency education is provided for each household weatherized. The priority measures that can be applied to each home are based on an energy audit of the client’s home. Weatherization crews install the most cost-effective, energy efficient measures, and address health and safety concerns, improve comfort and air quality.

Through this program, weatherization service providers install energy efficiency measures in the homes of qualifying homeowners free of charge. These are not expensive upgrades—the average expenditure limit is $6,500 per home—but they are effective, and energy savings pay for the upgrades within a few years. Department of Energy documents the savings and compares them against costs, so that over the years it can determine the efficacy of these measures.