Hawaii will receive $3.6 million in federal funding to provide energy-efficiency grants to low-income households, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono announced on Wednesday.
The funding, distributed via the federal Weatherization Assistance Program, was included in last year’s bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Grants can be used for installing insulation or ventilation, upgrading heating and cooling systems, replacing appliances, installing energy-efficient lights, repairing and replacing windows and floors and other energy-saving household improvements.
“With the highest energy costs of any state in the country, it has always been a real financial burden for families with low incomes in Hawaii to keep their homes comfortable and safe,” Hirono said. “Given our reliance on oil for power, these costs are only continuing to rise, making it that much harder for families to pay their utility bills.”
Even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked a spike in oil prices, Hawaii residents paid 27.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, nearly three times the national average of 10.59 cents. Earlier this month, Hawaiian Electric Co. warned that residential bills could increase by 10% on Oahu and by 20 percent on Hawaii island and Maui County as summer approaches.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, households receiving WAP support save an average of $283 in annual energy costs. These savings are especially significant for the households with low-incomes that the program serves, who spend about 14% of their income on energy costs, as opposed to just 3% for other households.
Hirono said she will continue working to reducing Hawaii’s dependence on oil and moving the state toward 100 percent renewable electricity by 2045.
In Hawaii, weatherization services are administered at the county level, and overseen by the Hawaii Office of Community Services. Individuals interested in learning more about the program and how to apply can visit labor.hawaii.gov/ocs/service-programs-index/weatherization-assistance-program/.
