Nationally, low-income households spend a larger portion of their income on home energy costs which is referred to as the “energy burden”. It is imperative that consideration is given to those that face disproportionate energy burdens, and implementing cost-effective energy efficiency measures helps reduce consumption of electricity and other fuels. In neighboring states, funding energy efficiency audits and funding weatherization improvements have been found to significantly reduce energy generation needs and has proved to be cost effective. LB449 takes a practical approach so low-income families and individuals can seek assistance to reduce their utilities through weatherization improvements.