Windows & More Guides Homeowners Through Weatherization Programs

The Arkansas Weatherization Assistance Program, which began a new program year on July 1, 2026, under a proposed state plan that budgets federal funds for a limited number of homes, is now directing homeowners to find assistance to weatherize their homes. The program, administered by five nonprofit agencies across all 75 Arkansas counties, provides approved improvements at no cost to qualifying households. Funded measures include air sealing, duct sealing, insulation, and the evaluation, repair, and replacement of heating systems. An on-site energy audit determines the work on each home by comparing each measure’s expected energy savings against its cost. Only measures that meet the program’s cost-effectiveness standard are installed, and homeowners do not choose the products or the scope of work. The state sets the program’s income limit at 200 percent of the federal poverty level, based on household size. Households with a high energy burden receive two points, defined as spending more than 6.9 percent of total income on heating and cooling. Households that use a high amount of energy receive one point.

The proposed plan budgets the Department of Energy annual funds to weatherize at least 158 homes statewide this program year, including 48 through Central Arkansas Development Council. The provider network also draws on LIHEAP funds and a federal infrastructure award. Households still waiting for service must have their eligibility recertified every 12 months. The plan also notes that the state’s funding formula weighs the share of houses built before 1990 in each county, one indicator of where older, less efficient housing is concentrated.

Windows & More, an exterior home improvement company serving Central Arkansas from a showroom at 107 Plaza Blvd., Cabot, AR 72023, and an office at 2380 Airport Rd., Hot Springs, AR 71913, operates a showroom and serves homeowners within about 50 miles of each location. The company has been replacing windows in Arkansas homes since 1993, and about 90 percent of its work is residential replacement. Its window consultants are ProVia certified, and its roofing team holds Malarkey certification. Windows & More is a licensed Arkansas contractor and a BBB-accredited business, and is a member of chambers of commerce in Cabot, Little Rock, Hot Springs, Beebe, and Searcy.

The Arkansas Energy Office lists Central Arkansas Development Council (CADC) as the weatherization provider for both Lonoke County, which includes Cabot, and Garland County, which includes Hot Springs. CADC’s territory also covers Pulaski, Saline, and Hot Spring counties. The state lists CADC’s weatherization contact number as 501-776-8446. Homeowners should call to confirm current intake procedures, funding availability, and waiting lists. Residents of other counties can find their local provider through the Arkansas Energy Office.

USDA Rural Development’s Section 504 Home Repair program offers grants of up to $10,000 to very-low-income homeowners age 62 and older to remove health and safety hazards. It also offers repair loans of up to $40,000, at a fixed 1 percent interest rate over 20 years, to eligible low- and very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve, or modernize their homes. Loans and grants can be combined for up to $50,000 in assistance. Applicants must own and live in the home, be unable to obtain affordable credit elsewhere, and fall within county income limits. The home must also be in an eligible rural area. Some addresses inside larger cities may not qualify while nearby rural areas may, so USDA recommends checking a specific address with its online eligibility tool. Grants carry a $10,000 lifetime limit and must be repaid if the property is sold within three years. Approval times depend on funding availability.

Windows & More, which replaces windows, installs architectural shingle roofs, and installs vinyl and engineered wood siding, also installs fiberglass entry doors and storm doors, builds patio covers and screen rooms, and installs seamless gutters, is not affiliated with the agencies that operate the weatherization and Section 504 programs. The company’s contribution is practical: helping homeowners understand which repairs actually stop energy loss, and when sealing, repair, or replacement is the right response.