More than $38 million in weatherization and energy efficiency funding was released to Vermont today as part of the economic recovery bill, Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch announced.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included nearly $8 billion in state and local efficiency funding, designed to create 87,000 jobs nationwide and save families hundreds of dollars per year on their energy bills. Vermont is slated to receive $16.8 million through the Weatherization Assistance Program and $22 million through the State Energy Program.

The Weatherization Assistance Program will allow an average investment of up to $6,500 per home in energy efficiency upgrades and will be available for families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level - or about $44,000 a year for a family of four.

The State Energy Program funding will be available for rebates to consumers for home energy audits or other energy saving improvements; development of renewable energy projects for clean electricity generation and alternative fuels; promotion of Energy Star products; efficiency upgrades for state and local government buildings; and other innovative state efforts to help save families money on their energy bills.

The Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program allows low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient, reducing heating bills by an average of 32 percent and overall energy bills by hundreds of dollars per year.