The paper notes that the energy-saving and greenhouse gas reduction benefits of weatherization programmes for fuel-poor households often barely offset investments, but a variety of valuable co-benefits accrue to households, energy providers, property owners, local communities and society as a whole.
June 2011: The Energy Efficiency Unit (EEU) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has released a report titled “Evaluating the co-benefits of low-income energy-efficiency programmes,” which discusses co-benefits related to low-income weatherization programmes addressing poor housing quality, the main driver of fuel poverty, as well as innovative methods for their financing.
The paper, authored by Grayson Heffner and Nina Campbell, notes that the main benefits of weatherization programmes for fuel-poor households, namely energy-saving and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, often barely offset investments. However, it also identifies a variety of valuable co-benefits for households, energy providers, property owners, local communities and society as a whole.
Among the direct financial co‐benefits are reduced outlays for energy assistance and rate subsidies, and other cost savings for utilities and ratepayers, such as avoided bad debt write‐off, reduced carrying cost on billing arrears, reduced spending on notices, collections, customer calls, and shut‐offs and re-connections for non‐payment.
Indirect economic co‐benefits include: increased individual or neighborhood property values and economic activity; improved home and fire safety; improved learning and earning capability of participants; and reduced unwanted mobility of low‐income households.
Social welfare and livelihood co‐benefits include: improved health and comfort through reduction of noise, drafts, mold and mildew; improvement in community appearance; environmental benefits; and improved educational outcomes. [Publication: Evaluating the Co-benefits of Low-income Energy-Efficiency Programmes]