NASCSP came out swinging yesterday when a report released by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Darrell Issa (R-CA), made outlandishly false claims about the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).

In a press release published yesterday, NASCSP’s Executive Director, Tim Warfield said, “The House Oversight Committee was wrong in its characterization of the Weatherization Assistance Program. The program is state‐of‐the‐art and it drives the public sector with its innovative and cutting-edge technology.” In fact, the Government Accounting Office found in a 2011, long-term study that WAP exceeded production targets and provided a return on investment greater than its costs.

The committee’s report accused WAP of being a “misguided” effort and of “wasting taxpayers’  money.” “The numbers speak for themselves,” said Warfield. “On average, $437 is saved per year by families who receive Weatherization services. You have to ask who is really misguided here?  In fact, the program weatherized approximately 700,000 homes nationwide with Recovery Act funding, more than 100,000 homes than originally projected.”

In addition, Warfield said, “During this extended period of high unemployment, the Weatherization Assistance Program is the second largest job‐creating program out of approximately 200 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus programs.”

In response to critiques of workmanship and quality, Warfield pointed out that, “Weatherization contractors are highly trained in the latest technology from computerized energy audits to advanced diagnostic equipment, such as digital combustion analyzers, and infrared cameras. This is a highly technical program with highly technical tools to ensure efficiency. They need to look at all the facts.”

You can view the press release here. Please forward this to your local media outlets along with a State or local success story about how Weatherization Works!