In what may be a case of too little, too late, the Department of Energy will award $86.7 million in weatherization assistance grants to 34 states on April 1.

The grants are intended to help low-income households cope with rising energy costs. Although they come long after the height of the current heating season, at least they will allow recipients to be better prepared for next winter.

An additional $46 million will be awarded to the other 16 states on Sept.1, just in time for next season. The timing of the awards coincides with the states' fiscal years.

In total, DoE says the nearly $133 million in grants will reduce the energy bills of more than 67,000 families by an average of 25 percent.

Weatherization reduces a typical low-income household's heating bill by some $190 a year, DoE says. It's not much, less than $20 a month. But it also lowers demand for imported fuels and reduces the need for other social programs such as fuel assistance, housing and health care.

According to the agency, every federal dollar spent on weatherization brings $1.80 in energy savings and 60 cents more in employment and environmental benefits. Also, for each dollar, state and local authorities are spending an additional $3.40.

DoE's weatherization program works in partnership with those operated at the state and local level. The agency awards the money to states, which, in turn, contract with local agencies or non-profit groups to perform the work. Since its inception in 1976, the program has helped trim the utility bills of some 4.7 million households.

Families who qualify for assistance may also be eligible for several other energy-related services, including the installation of insulation and ventilation fans, sealing ducts, weatherstripping and insulation for water heaters. Service providers also test and repair appliances to help prevent carbon monoxide leaks.

Published: March 8, 2000

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When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.