GREENFIELD — According to data from the state Department of Energy Resources, Massachusetts residents who heat their homes using oil spent an average of $1,800 on heat during the winter of 2024-2025.
Heating one’s home is not an insignificant expense, and weatherizing one’s home to make it more energy efficient isn’t cheap either, said Lev BenEzra, executive director of Community Action Pioneer Valley during a celebration of National Weatherization Day on Thursday.
“Weatherization is about dignity, comfort and economic security for our neighbors,” BenEzra said, “and it is a part of the web of supports that many in our community rely on.”
Despite being located in a wealthy state, within a wealthy country, BenEzra said that in Franklin County, “far too many of our neighbors are struggling to keep food on the table or to keep their houses warm.”
During fiscal year 2025, Community Action’s Weatherization Assistance Program weatherized 53 homes across Franklin and Hampshire counties, adding to the total of 853 homes weatherized by Community Action agencies across Massachusetts. BenEzra said weatherizing these homes allowed the homeowners to save 25% of what they spend on energy heating bills.
“As many of us know in our home budgets, it’s all one pot, so when we save on energy bills, that means there’s fewer impossible choices about heat or food, heat or rent, heat or gas in the car to get to work,” she said.
State Rep. Susannah Whipps, I-Athol, said weatherization is more than just cutting down on energy costs; it’s about providing comfort and dignity to people.
“An extra pair of socks and a sweater is great, but at the end of the day, we need to be comfortable in our homes,” Whipps said. “That’s our safe space and it should be our safe space.”
BenEzra and Whipps were joined Thursday by approximately a dozen state officials, community partners and other local stakeholders at the home of Greenfield At-Large City Councilor Sara Brown to celebrate National Weatherization Day. The day is held to raise awareness about the different technologies and programs that are available to make homes warmer, cozier and more energy efficient.
Brown’s home, which was built in 1800, is being weatherized through Community Action’s assistance program. Homeowners and renters who receive fuel assistance can be eligible for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Participants have their homes audited by a technician to determine how thick the insulation is, and depending on the needs of the home, can improve insulation, weather stripping and air sealing.
Eric Beaton, supervisor of the Energy Conservation Unit at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, said it is a “win-win-win program” that not only improves homeowners’ comfort and budgets, but also benefits the environment by reducing energy usage, and can improve homeowner health. As part of the home inspections, technicians sometimes find other issues, such as faulty heaters pushing carbon dioxide or other toxins into the building.
Crews have been at Brown’s home since Monday, drilling holes into the outer walls and pumping insulation made from recycled newspaper into the wall cavities. On Thursday, visitors got to see crews continue pumping insulation and hear from residents about the impact of weatherization.
“It already felt warmer in the first day or two,” Brown said. “It’s already so much better, and they’re surgical with it. You can’t even tell they did anything to the sides that they’ve already patched up.”
BenEzra said that while the Weatherization Assistance Program has been part of how Community Action wraps “a cozy blanket around homes that need it the most,” the program, along with fuel assistance, will face challenges if the ongoing federal government shutdown continues.
“Right now we are amidst this government shutdown and we, Community Action, don’t have access to a number of the funding sources that keep us running,” BenEzra said.
For more information about the Weatherization Assistance Program, visit communityaction.us/program/weatherization.