When homeowners lose momentum after an energy audit: Barriers to completing weatherization in the United States Midwest

Abstract

Home weatherization could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve residents' health and comfort. However, uptake in disadvantaged communities, which could benefit the most, is low. Here we assess barriers to weatherization in owner-occupied single-family homes in Michigan. We interview the heads of 40 households, each of which received comprehensive energy assessments (CEA). Half the households in our study have below-median incomes; 40% are energy insecure; 43% need additional heating or cooling for medical conditions; and 53% have children. Our sample allows us to assess the energy justice implications of weatherization in a way that past studies have not done. We describe the steps households took towards retrofits in the year following the CEA. By describing four pathways to weatherization, we identify factors that catalyze the uptake of the audit's recommendations and factors that hinder uptake. Half the participants took no steps towards weatherization, often because the CEA showed that the benefits of doing so did not justify the costs. But the other half engaged with the recommendations of the audit, taking steps towards implementing them. Cost-conscious households attempted some of the recommended changes on their own but often failed to complete them upon facing technical difficulties or by underestimating the scarcity of their time. Our findings suggest a form of energy poverty trap: weatherization is often out of reach for those who would benefit the most from it. One solution is for policymakers to build capacity for “do-it-yourself” (DIY) weatherization by providing region-specific guidance for common interventions like air sealing.