For those who are not familiar with the Weatherization Grants given by the federal government, we can help explain it and hopefully save you some money on home improvements. The Department of Energy has put together a program that is designed to save you money that you need to make necessary home improvements. 
Not everyone or every homeowner is eligible for a Weatherization Grant. Currently, there are about 20 to 30 million homes in the United States whose families are eligible for this free money. You may need to check with each state as to the eligibility requirements but for the most part, you will need to be over 60 years old or have a family member with one or more people who have a legitimate disability or have families with children.
The main eligibility requirement is low income; families who make a certain amount of money will not be eligible for these grants. If your income level is about 200% below poverty levels. Some states require an income of less than 60% of the median income level in your state. Now, once you have been found to be eligible for these grants or free money, you can now start to plan your home improvements. Any and all weatherization improvements have to be done by the local agencies and most of these agencies are from non-profit organizations.
Contact your local agency and then go into their office and fill out the 20-minute application process. You should bring with you proof of income from last year and be prepared to answer just a few short answers from the agency. If you are deemed eligible then you are placed on a waiting list. If you are not the homeowners and you are a renter then you must have written permission from the landlord.
Once you have been scheduled for the work, the local weatherization agency will schedule the time and date for your repairs. The maximum amount of money allotted to each home is $ 6500 per home. The repairs should only take a day or two to complete. Then once the work is done then you sign off on it. Now is the time to ask any questions that you may have. Keep in mind that just because you are getting free money from the government that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a say in how the work looks when it is done.
This program was designed to help those homeowners who cannot afford to do repairs on things like windows, roofs, wall and ceilings inside the home. To find out where to apply in your state log onto the website for the Department of Energy and under the Weatherization Assistance Program, you will find all of the information that you need to apply. If you are eligible for the program then why not apply, after all it is grant money and most people call it free money since it doesn’t have to be paid back.
