The national Weatherization Assistance Program is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, marking the occasion on Weatherization Day on October 30. TEP has been integral to this effort to improve energy efficiency at homes for low-income residents.

Jasmin Pallanes became very handy around the house over the 22 years that she and her family have lived in her five-bedroom house.

She laid tile and pavers, repaired toilets when roots came up, replaced a hanging showerhead, and fixed electrical and plumbing. She even got on the roof and patched it up.

After a while, the work was too much to handle. That’s when TEP’s Weatherization Program came in. Working with community partners and a combination of funding sources, at no cost to her, Pallanes’ house got a whole efficiency makeover, including an HVAC system, appliances, screens, seals and more. Much of the funding came from the TEP program.

“My home life has improved tremendously. It’s such a relief,” Pallanes said. “I just have so much more peace of mind.”

Pallanes’ home is one of the more than 1,910 customers served by the TEP Weatherization Program since 2010. While the national program is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year, TEP has participated in supporting low-income customers through weatherization services since 1982.

What is Weatherization?

Just like a jacket helps keep a person warm in cold weather, weatherization is a collection of methods to protect a building from the elements. The program provides a variety of ways to weatherproof homes and make them more energy efficient, such as sealing leaks, adding insulation and improving heating and cooling. The service is provided at no cost for qualifying low-income residents. As a result, customers can save energy and money, along with having more livable dwellings.

Over the last 16 years, the TEP weatherization program has saved about 69,000 megawatt hours, which is the equivalent of enough energy to power 6,500 homes for a year.

TEP provides funding for home upgrades that relate to electricity and energy usage. Agencies rely on other funding sources that take care of other issues needed for comprehensive retrofits, such as roof repairs. Tune-ups or replacement of HVAC systems are among the most common upgrades.

TEP partners with two local agencies to carry out the work: AllThrive 365 in the cities of Tucson and South Tucson and Pima County Community and Workforce Development for communities outside Tucson, including Sahuarita, Oro Valley and Marana. The program sometimes has waitlists.

“We are honored to celebrate 50 years of the Weatherization Assistance Program and its remarkable legacy of serving communities,” said Nikole White, TEP’s Senior Program Manager for Energy Services. “Weatherization plays a vital role in helping households reduce their energy burden while creating safer, healthier, and more comfortable homes. Programs like these strengthen communities by ensuring families can benefit from energy efficiency, affordability, and improved quality of life for generations to come.”

Upgrades for Customer

Pallanes applied for the Weatherization Program when both her roof and HVAC gave out. She couldn’t afford to fix both, so she piecemealed repairs to function until her case was approved. Her mother loaned her money to put in mini-splits, which were spotty in cooling down the house, and she had to deal with leaks every time it rained. A roof repair was paid for with Emergency Repair Funds that come through AllThrive 365.

Over the years as a single mother, Pallanes raised six children at the house and at times, welcomed grandchildren and others to live there. Currently, Pallanes lives with her 18-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter.

Through that time, Pallanes held several jobs and currently runs her own home-cooking businesses, Jasmin’s Spicy Kiss Tacos. The catering business allows her the flexibility to care for her mother, who has stage-four breast cancer, while also supporting her disabled stepfather and brother.

Her income barely covers her bills, so she was grateful for the weatherization help. Beyond the big expenses, the program also helped her improve her business by replacing her stove after a kitchen fire melted parts of the previous one.

“I felt so blessed,” Pallanes said.

Connect with us to learn more and apply for the Weatherization Program.