The Health Professional’s Stake in Home Energy Performance

This briefing by RMI argues that health professionals should recognize the link between indoor air quality (IAQ) and specific home energy upgrades to improve patient health outcomes and drive demand for carbon-reducing home investments.

• Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has a significant economic impact in the United States, costing more than $10 billion annually due to the exacerbation of allergy symptoms and illnesses such as asthma.
• Specific home energy upgrades—including building envelope improvements (sealing drafts and insulation), humidity control, and controlled ventilation—can improve IAQ by reducing moisture, dust, and mold, while increasing the circulation of fresh air.
• Combining asthma-control education with energy services and repairs resulted in a 23 percent reduction in children with very poorly controlled or not-well-controlled asthma compared to those who received only education.
• RMI and NEEF have developed the 'Health Heroes' infographic to provide healthcare providers with talking points and action items to promote energy performance as a preventative health measure, which RMI believes will increase consumer demand for upgrades that reduce carbon emissions.

APA

RMI (2017). The Health Professional’s Stake in Home Energy Performance. https://rmi.org/resources/health-professionals-stake-home-energy-performance/

Chicago

RMI. The Health Professional’s Stake in Home Energy Performance. 2017. https://rmi.org/resources/health-professionals-stake-home-energy-performance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=The Health Professional’s Stake in Home Energy Performance |date=31 August 2017 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/health-professionals-stake-home-energy-performance/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2017health, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{The Health Professional’s Stake in Home Energy Performance}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/health-professionals-stake-home-energy-performance/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }