The dog days of summer are truly here, which means we have less than 3 months until Weatherization Day 2016! Many Americans are facing higher energy burdens than ever as we deal with record-breaking heat.  In addition to reaching expected all-time highs, this August, we mark the 40^th anniversary of the WAP being signed into law. Since August 14, 1976, WAP has helped households across the U.S. reduce their energy bills, improve the efficiency of their homes, and live in safer, healthier houses. As we mark this anniversary and recognize the impacts WAP has had across the nation, we’ll also begin to set the stage for our annual nationwide celebration of Weatherization Day on October 30th! NASCSP will be providing several toolkits to help you promote the 40^th Anniversary and Weatherization Day 2016. We know you might have questions about where, when, and how to start so we’re here to help!

When should we start talking about WAP?

All the time! But to really ramp up our public information efforts over August, September, and October, here’s a helpful timeline with key dates and initiatives.

Who’s doing what?

Is your state doing an event or action for the 40^th anniversary of WAP? Are you hosting an event as an agency? Share the information on this sign-up sheet so the NASCSP can promote your events and other states can see what you are up to!

Who has some great ideas?

Check out this list of events and actions from last year’s Weatherization day. Also check out this how-to guide for more information on setting up events, securing a governor’s proclamation, putting out a press release, etc.

What should we focus on?

The central goal of the 2016 social media campaign leading up to Weatherization Day (October 30^th) is to highlight the impact of weatherization over the past 40 years. Try connecting your messaging, events, talking points, and/or social media posts to these 5 themes:

1. WAP delivers energy savings to low income families
2. WAP provides health and safety benefits
3. WAP is good for the environment
4. WAP supports jobs and new technology
5. WAP is a cost effective program the returns benefits to society as a whole

How can we use social media to boost our visibility?

There will be 2 main hashtags for the WAP 40 year anniversary and Weatherization Day public information campaign. Using these 2 hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media will link our posts and will allow the network to present a unified message. Please use:

#WXDayOct30        #WAP40yrs

Other Hashtags can be used to increase the impact of your posts:

General weatherization-#Weatherization  #WeatherizationWorks

Energy focused-#EnergyEfficiency #EnergyActionMonth

Health benefits of Weatherization-#WxPlusHealth  #HealthyHomes

See examples of past Weatherization Day and Energy Action Month social media posts here:

• https://storify.com/NASCSP/wx-day-tweets
• https://storify.com/NASCSP/wap-month-feed2015
• https://storify.com/NASCSP/happy-wxdayoct30

What are our federal partners doing?

The DOE will be doing a lot of promotion of the WAP 40^th anniversary in August. Be sure to check the EERE Blog, the DOE Blog, as well as DOE Facebook and Twitter. These will be great sources to retweet and repost on your own Twitter and Facebook or on your own websites’ news sections or blogs.

More toolkits and strategies are coming! Keep an eye out on the NASCSP blog and in your email inboxes. Any questions? Email ebehna@nascsp.org