What pays for insulation and air sealing in South Burlington
We re-read Efficiency Vermont's Home Performance page and Vermont Gas's rebate page on October 5, 2026. South Burlington is Green Mountain Power electricity territory, and many homes use Vermont Gas for heat, so there are two programs to compare.
Efficiency Vermont weatherization
75% of a qualifying insulation and air-sealing project, up to $3,000, while funding lasts (effective July 1, 2026). The project needs an Efficiency Excellence Network contractor and at least a 10% cut in air leakage on the blower-door test.
Income-eligible weatherization
For low- and moderate-income households whose property is their primary residence. Efficiency Vermont also lists a free Weatherization Assistance Program through a partner for income-qualified homes.
Vermont Gas weatherization rebate
For gas-heated single-family homes: 50% of the project up to $4,000 at market-rate income, 75% up to $7,000 at moderate income, 90% up to $9,500 at low income. Needs a BPI-certified contractor and a 10% air-leakage cut, finished by December 31, 2026.
Vermont Gas condo, townhouse and multi-family
Townhouses and condos get 75% up to $1,000 per unit. Multi-family properties get 50% up to $10,000, or 75% when tenants pay the gas bill (the rebate goes to the landlord).
Weatherization financing
Through Vermont Gas, Green Mountain Credit Union lends up to $20,000 over five years at 0% for weatherization. The Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP) puts repayment on the utility bill instead.
Do-it-yourself weatherization
Efficiency Vermont lists $100 for DIY weatherization. Burlington Electric describes it as completing at least three do-it-yourself projects. Good for weatherstripping, door sweeps and attic hatches.
Which program applies depends on your heating fuel, not just your address. Efficiency Vermont says Vermont Gas customers are paid by Vermont Gas. If you heat with oil, propane, electricity or wood, start with Efficiency Vermont. If you heat with piped natural gas from Vermont Gas, start with Vermont Gas whose caps ($4,000 to $9,500) are higher than Efficiency Vermont's, although its market-rate share is 50% rather than 75%. Efficiency Vermont says Vermont Gas customers are paid by Vermont Gas, so confirm with both which one covers you.
A newer city with a few old pockets
The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey counts 9,673 housing units in South Burlington. 3,568 (37%) were built in 2000 or later, 3,067 in the 1980s and 1990s, 1,994 in the 1960s and 1970s, 764 in the 1940s and 1950s, and only 280 in 1939 or earlier. The 1960 to 1979 group is the one most likely to benefit from a blower-door test, because it was built before modern air-sealing practice. We did not verify typical insulation levels for any South Burlington decade, so let the test tell you.
Owners dominate
62% of South Burlington households own, so most readers can sign the paperwork themselves. 41% of units are detached houses and 17% are attached. Efficiency Vermont's income-eligible $7,000 tier applies to a primary residence.
Gas homes and the two-program choice
5,971 South Burlington homes (63%) heat with piped natural gas. Vermont Gas pays 50% up to $4,000 for a market-rate single-family household, and its scale rises to 90% up to $9,500 for low income. If your supplier is Vermont Gas, its caps are higher than Efficiency Vermont's $3,000 and $7,000, though at market-rate income it pays 50% of the project, where Efficiency Vermont's formula pays 75%. You are placed by your heating fuel, so you cannot pick the more generous one. If you are not sure who supplies your gas, check your bill. Vermont Gas requires a BPI-certified contractor and a 10% cut in air leakage, and projects must finish by December 31, 2026.
Condos and townhouses
26% of South Burlington housing is in buildings with ten or more units, and 1,330 more units sit in buildings of three to nine. For gas-heated condos and townhouses Vermont Gas pays 75% up to $1,000 per unit. For others, Efficiency Vermont lists Home Performance for one-to-four-unit properties, so a ten-unit building may not qualify under it, and we did not verify any other program for that size.
Winter load
South Burlington's average January low is -9.3°C, with a record low of -29.8°C between 2015 and 2024. The blower-door test will show how much your house leaks before work begins, and the 10% reduction target is measured against it.
How to claim an insulation rebate in South Burlington
- Look at your gas bill. If Vermont Gas supplies you, use its offer; otherwise use Efficiency Vermont's.
- Book a home energy assessment or Efficiency Vermont's free Virtual Home Energy Visit.
- Hire a BPI-certified (Vermont Gas) or Efficiency Excellence Network (Efficiency Vermont) contractor.
- Get a blower-door test before and after, and confirm a 10% or better air leakage reduction.
- Keep invoices and apply before the offer's deadline.
Common questions
Which South Burlington insulation program applies to me?
If Vermont Gas supplies your heating gas, its offer pays from 50% up to $4,000 to 90% up to $9,500, with higher caps than Efficiency Vermont's $3,000 or $7,000. If you heat another way, use Efficiency Vermont.
Do I need a contractor for the rebate?
Yes. Vermont Gas requires a BPI-certified contractor and Efficiency Vermont requires an Efficiency Excellence Network contractor, and both need a 10% air leakage reduction.
Is my newer house worth weatherizing?
Possibly. A blower-door test shows leakage. Houses from the 1960s and 1970s are the group most likely to leak, though we did not verify local insulation levels.
What does the income-eligible tier need?
Efficiency Vermont's $7,000 is for low- and moderate-income households in their primary residence. Income limits changed July 1, 2026.
Can a landlord in South Burlington claim it?
Vermont Gas pays 75% when tenants pay the gas bill, with the rebate paid to the landlord. For non-gas buildings, ask Efficiency Vermont whether a rental building qualifies, since its list shows Home Performance for residential properties and we did not confirm a rental option.
What to do next
Pair this with the South Burlington heat pump guide and the water heater guide. For solar and batteries, see the statewide solar page.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 5, 2026: Efficiency Vermont: Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, Vermont Gas: residential financing and rebates, Efficiency Vermont: free Virtual Home Energy Visit, US Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020-2024, table B25034 (year built). All South Burlington rebates → Every Efficiency Vermont rebate →