We’re proud to announce that the Association for Energy Affordability (AEA) has selected Bilingva as its trusted language services vendor. This partnership enables AEA to better serve the diverse, low-income communities across the United States that benefit from their critical energy efficiency programs—ensuring that language is never a barrier to accessing cleaner, healthier, and more affordable housing.
As AEA works to transform multifamily buildings, provide weatherization services, and deliver energy efficiency education to underserved communities, professional interpreting and translation services play a crucial role in ensuring equitable access to these life-changing programs.
Founded in the early 1990s and recognized as one of the foremost advocates for multifamily energy efficiency across the United States, the Association for Energy Affordability is a nonprofit organization dedicated to a mission that directly impacts the lives of thousands of low-income families: achieving energy efficiency in new and existing buildings to foster and maintain affordable, healthy housing and communities.
AEA operates at the intersection of environmental sustainability, housing affordability, and social justice. Their comprehensive approach includes:
Energy Efficiency Program Implementation: AEA serves as a leading implementer of government and utility energy efficiency programs, working with agencies like the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the California Department of Community Services and Development. Through programs like the Low Income Weatherization Program, AEA has deployed millions in incentives to tens of thousands of low-income households, generating substantial energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions.
AEA’s work directly serves low-income and disadvantaged communities—populations that often include significant numbers of limited English proficiency (LEP) residents. From explaining weatherization benefits to conducting energy audits, from providing training to installers to helping residents understand their utility savings, clear communication is essential to AEA’s mission.
Consider the typical interactions where language services are critical:
Without professional language services, language barriers could prevent families who need energy efficiency services most from accessing these programs—undermining AEA’s mission of serving low-income and disadvantaged communities equitably.
The partnership between AEA and Bilingva represents a natural alignment of values. Just as AEA is committed to ensuring that low-income communities have access to energy efficiency and affordable housing, Bilingva is committed to ensuring that language is never a barrier to accessing critical services, programs, and opportunities.
Since 2001, Bilingva has served as a trusted language services partner for organizations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Our work spans multiple sectors, but we take particular pride in supporting mission-driven nonprofits, government agencies, and organizations dedicated to serving underserved communities.
While Bilingva is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, our services extend nationwide -perfectly aligned with AEA’s multi-state operations. As AEA implements programs in New York, California, and other states, Bilingva’s national network of qualified interpreters ensures consistent, high-quality language services wherever AEA works.
AEA’s partnership with Bilingva reflects a growing recognition in the energy efficiency and environmental sectors that language access is essential to achieving equity and environmental justice goals.
Low-Income Communities Are Linguistically Diverse: The communities most burdened by high energy costs often include significant populations with limited English proficiency. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, millions of low-income households speak languages other than English at home.
Energy Burden Disproportionately Affects LEP Households: Research shows that limited English proficiency households often face higher energy burdens (the percentage of household income spent on energy) due to barriers in accessing efficiency programs and understanding how to reduce energy consumption.
Federal Requirements for Language Access: Many energy efficiency programs are funded by federal agencies or utilities subject to federal oversight. These programs must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Executive Order 13166, which require meaningful access for LEP individuals.
Equity and Environmental Justice Mandates: As energy programs increasingly focus on environmental justice and equity—ensuring that disadvantaged communities benefit from clean energy transitions—language access becomes a non-negotiable component of program design and implementation.
Program Effectiveness Depends on Communication: Even the best energy efficiency programs fail if potential beneficiaries don’t understand them, can’t enroll in them, or don’t know how to maximize their benefits. Clear communication in residents’ native languages is essential for program success.