Detroit homeowners know this feeling. The utility bill arrives and takes up more of the paycheck than it should. That's not bad luck or bad habits. It's the predictable result of older housing stock, limited weatherization, and electricity rates that have climbed sharply for two decades.
We Want Green Too has been working on this problem in Highland Park and East Detroit since 2007. Here's what we've learned about why energy costs hit Detroit households so hard, what home energy efficiency actually involves, and how our Whole Homes, Whole Communities program helps residents do something about it.
The Energy Burden Problem in Detroit
The term "energy burden" measures the share of household income that goes toward utility bills. A household that spends 6% or more of its income on energy is considered highly burdened, a threshold established by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and referenced by the U.S. DOE LEAD Tool. In Detroit, the average household spends roughly $2,292 a year on gas and electricity against a median household income of $36,453, which puts a typical Detroit family well into energy-burdened territory before any other expense is counted. (Source: Outlier Media.)
The burden falls hardest on households with the least income. A 2024 ACEEE analysis found that 30% of Detroit households face a high energy burden, compared with about 25% of households nationally. Within the city, Black households carry a median energy burden of 5.3%, and low-income households a median of 10.2%, both at or above the 6% line. (Source: ACEEE, September 2024.) This is the energy justice problem in plain numbers: the same utility system costs the least-resourced families the most as a share of what they earn.
Rates compound the problem. Michigan's residential electricity rates have more than doubled since 2006, rising from roughly 9.8 cents to over 21 cents per kilowatt-hour, an increase of about 117%. (Source: The Detroit News, January 2026; figures reflect Michigan's statewide average for both major utilities.) On top of that long trend, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a $242.4 million DTE rate increase that took effect March 5, 2026. (Source: Michigan Public Service Commission, February 2026.) As of mid-2026, Detroit's electricity costs run about 24% above the national average of roughly $0.20 per kilowatt-hour. (Source: EnergySage, June 2026.) When rates rise and housing stays uninsulated and inefficient, the gap between what people can afford and what they owe keeps widening.
Why Detroit's Older Homes Make It Worse
Detroit's housing stock is old. Most of it was built before 1960, before modern insulation standards existed and before air leakage was measured as a performance metric. The result is homes that bleed heat in winter, let cool air escape in summer, and push heating and cooling systems to work twice as hard as they should.
This is the structural driver behind high bills that rate increases alone don't explain. The energy efficiency problems in Detroit's older homes are built into the walls and attics: fiberglass batts compressed over decades, missing vapor barriers, unsealed gaps around pipes and wires, and windows that were already past their useful life when the current owners moved in. The bill is high partly because the house is working against itself.
Free home energy improvements, like insulation, air sealing, and equipment upgrades, address these physical conditions directly. They don't lower the rate. They reduce how much energy the home needs in the first place.
What a Home Energy Audit Actually Involves
A proper home energy audit identifies where the losses are happening before any money is spent on upgrades. A trained Building Analyst uses diagnostic tools, including blower door tests, combustion safety checks, and thermal imaging, to measure a home's performance and produce a prioritized list of what to fix first. (Source: Building Performance Institute.)
The blower door test pressurizes the house to find air leaks. Combustion safety testing checks that gas appliances aren't backdrafting carbon monoxide into the living space. Thermal imaging shows where insulation is missing or failing. Together, these tools turn a vague sense that the house feels drafty into a specific, fixable finding.
This is skilled work, and getting it right matters. Heating equipment and ventilation interact in ways that affect indoor air quality and safety. A thorough home energy audit is the difference between random upgrades and a repair sequence that delivers lasting savings.
How Much Can You Actually Save?
Energy efficiency improvements can reduce household utility bills by up to 50%, depending on the starting condition of the home, what upgrades are made, and how the home is used.
A home that starts out poorly sealed, underinsulated, and running outdated heating equipment has significant room for improvement. Fix the air leaks and the insulation does more work. Upgrade the furnace and the whole system runs more efficiently. The savings accumulate month after month.
For a Detroit household spending $2,292 a year on energy, cutting that by half would put more than $1,100 back in the household's hands every year.
The Workforce Behind the Work
The quality of an efficiency retrofit depends on the people doing the assessment. That's why credentials matter.
The Building Performance Institute (BPI) offers nationally recognized certifications for home energy professionals. BPI Building Analyst Technical (BA-T) covers blower door testing, combustion safety testing, and infrared thermography. Building Analyst Professional (BA-P) builds on that with energy modeling and advanced data evaluation. The U.S. Department of Energy recognizes BPI's BA-P certification as "Energy Skilled" in the Single Family Home Energy Audit category. (Source: U.S. DOE Building Science Education Solution Center; Building Performance Institute.)
Through our ICAN Workforce Development program, in partnership with Michigan EGLE, we certified 20 Detroit-area residents as Building Analysts. Those credentials are nationally recognized, and they qualify the holder to assess homes professionally and to build a career in Michigan's growing green economy.
The connection between ICAN and Whole Homes, Whole Communities is intentional. Trained people from Detroit communities do this work for Detroit households. The expertise stays local, and so do the careers.
Whole Homes, Whole Communities: Free Home Repairs in Highland Park and East Detroit
Our Whole Homes, Whole Communities (WHWC) initiative is a four-year program serving Highland Park and East Detroit. We secured its $8 million in funding through a settlement in a DTE case, the same utility whose rising rates sit behind so many of the bills described above. That money now goes back into these neighborhoods as free home repairs, clean energy improvements, and homeowner education.
Free means free. Homeowners in the program pay nothing for the assessment or the work. The improvements, including insulation, air sealing, equipment upgrades, and health and safety repairs, are covered through the program funding. For these neighborhoods, this is the weatherization pathway, delivered by a community organization that's been doing the work here since 2007.
Homeowner education is part of the program. Understanding how your home performs, what the improvements did, and how to maintain them is what makes the savings hold year after year.
If you live in Highland Park or East Detroit and own your home, you may qualify. Contact us to find out where enrollment stands and whether your neighborhood is currently being served.
Other Programs That Can Help
WHWC isn't the only pathway for Detroit residents looking for help paying utility bills or getting free home energy improvements. Depending on your income, ZIP code, and situation, you may also qualify for:
- Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) — state-funded utility bill assistance for income-qualified households.
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) — federal heating and cooling assistance administered through Michigan DHHS.
- State Emergency Relief (SER) — emergency utility assistance through MDHHS for households in immediate crisis.
- Michigan Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) — free weatherization for income-qualifying households, through local community action agencies.
- DTE Energy Efficiency Assistance (EEA) — free energy efficiency upgrades for qualifying DTE customers.
Eligibility rules, income limits, and application processes differ across these programs. The Michigan DHHS MI Bridges portal (michigan.gov/mibridges) is the starting point for MEAP, LIHEAP, and SER applications. For WAP, contact your local community action agency. For WHWC, contact us directly.
Who Qualifies for WHWC and How to Apply
The WHWC program focuses on Highland Park and East Detroit homeowners. Program capacity is limited by funding and the service timeline, so we work through neighborhoods systematically.
If you're in one of these areas, reach out to us directly. We can tell you where the program currently stands, whether your address falls within the active service area, and what the application process looks like.
You can also support this work. Every dollar contributed goes toward sustaining programs like WHWC and the trained local workforce that makes them run. If you want energy-efficient, healthy housing to reach more Detroit families and veterans, the most direct path is to back the organization doing it.
Contact us to learn more about Whole Homes, Whole Communities
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my DTE bill so high this month?
A few things drive it. Michigan's residential electricity rates have more than doubled since 2006, rising from roughly 9.8 cents to over 21 cents per kilowatt-hour, about a 117% increase for the statewide average across both major utilities. Detroit's electricity costs now run about 24% above the national average. (Sources: The Detroit News, January 2026; EnergySage, June 2026.) On top of rate increases, most Detroit homes were built before modern insulation and air-sealing standards, so they lose conditioned air continuously and make heating and cooling systems work harder than they should.
Can I get a free home energy audit in Detroit?
Yes. WWGT's Whole Homes, Whole Communities program includes a full professional home energy assessment at no cost to qualifying homeowners in Highland Park and East Detroit. The assessment uses blower door testing, combustion safety checks, and thermal imaging, the same diagnostic tools used by BPI-certified Building Analysts. Contact us to find out if your address is currently in the service area.
What is a high energy burden, and what percentage qualifies?
Energy burden is the share of household income spent on utility bills. A burden of 6% or more is considered high, per ACEEE (referenced by the U.S. DOE LEAD Tool). At Detroit's median household income of $36,453 and average annual energy cost of $2,292, the typical Detroit household carries an energy burden of about 6.3%, right at the high-burden threshold. Low-income Detroit households carry a median burden of 10.2%, and Black households a median of 5.3%. (Sources: ACEEE, September 2024; Outlier Media.)
Is there a free insulation program in Michigan?
Yes. Michigan residents may qualify for free insulation through the Michigan Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), administered by local community action agencies. For homeowners in Highland Park and East Detroit, WWGT's Whole Homes, Whole Communities program also includes insulation and air sealing as part of its free whole-home repair work. Income limits and service areas vary by program. Contact us or reach out to your local community action agency to check eligibility.
What ZIP codes does the Whole Homes, Whole Communities program serve?
WHWC serves Highland Park and East Detroit. Contact us to confirm whether your specific address falls within the current service area and where enrollment stands.
We Want Green Too is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 45-5324148, founded in 2007 by Gloria J. Lowe. We work on energy-efficient, healthy housing and green-economy careers for Detroit residents and veterans. Visit us at wewantgreentoo.com.
