Peter Wach of Efficiency Vermont urges careful coordination on S.219 before House committee

Peter Wach, managing director of Efficiency Vermont, testified to the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure committee that lawmakers should be cautious about creating a new, stand‑alone energy‑navigation program without first aligning and evaluating existing efforts referenced in S.219.

Wach told the committee that the principal barrier for residential energy projects is cost — “Over 57% named the cost of a project as the number 1 barrier” — and that a close second is uncertainty about how to start, including which contractors to call and which audit recommendations to prioritize. He described Efficiency Vermont’s work to support weatherization agencies, virtual home energy visits and other navigation services intended to move customers from interest to completed projects.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed Wach about whether S.219 would duplicate or improve current services. Wach said Green Savings Smart, a navigation pilot that Efficiency Vermont helped launch, filled gaps but recently lost funding and was discontinued in March. He warned that simply adding programs risks creating another layer for customers to navigate rather than a single, coordinated pathway to incentives and contractors.

Wach summarized several current offerings he said must be considered before designing new statewide navigation services: WAP‑based energy coaches placed at weatherization agencies, virtual home energy visits (778 completed in 2025), utility programs that provide tiered incentives, and collaboration with community action agencies. He said the WAP‑based coaches are embedded at weatherization agencies and are partially funded by Efficiency Vermont; the home energy visits are available statewide by appointment and typically take about 90 minutes.

On training and technical competence, Wach emphasized higher‑standard certifications for navigators. “The 4‑hour virtual training that Rewiring America provides isn't the same thing as being BPI certified,” he said, arguing that navigators who advise customers should be technically qualified to answer detailed questions about equipment and installation. When Representative Scott Campbell asked how Green Savings Smart differed from WAP‑based coaches, Wach said the pilot served a broader income range and offered more comprehensive navigation than services limited to weatherization‑eligible customers.

Wach also drew attention to program design and metrics: serving low‑ and moderate‑income households often raises per‑customer costs and can reduce a portfolio's measured cost‑effectiveness. He urged the committee to think about aligning program metrics and funding sources — rather than creating a separate program that shifts or hides those costs — to ensure equitable outcomes.

Wach cited prior work that informed navigation efforts, including the Energy Savings Counseling report pursuant to Act 74 of 2021 and an ongoing Public Utility Commission energy‑burden investigation by the Department of Public Service. He recommended that the committee review those studies before prescribing a particular service model in statute.

The committee asked several clarifying questions about funding sources for Green Savings Smart (Wach said state ARPA dollars and a mix of partners supported the pilot) and about the trainers for virtual appointments (Wach said Efficiency Vermont’s virtual consultants are BPI certified and have engineering backgrounds). He concluded by urging lawmakers to prioritize customer safety, choice and a streamlined experience for vulnerable residents and to avoid building additional, potentially duplicative layers of programs.

The committee thanked Wach for his presentation; Wach said he would share his slides with the committee assistant. The committee is scheduled to reconvene the following day to continue its work on S.219 and related items.