Help is finally on the way for middle-class people who want to make their houses more energy-efficient and save on heating bills. But the assistance is not quite here yet.

The state Office of Energy Resources is planning a program that will provide $2.3 million in federal stimulus money to pay up to $2,500 or 25 percent of the cost, whichever is less, toward weatherizing the houses of people who heat with oil or propane, and who don’t qualify for any of the programs that are targeted to low-income residents.

Homeowners will be required to hire firms to do energy audits of their houses and recommend the work. The same firms will have to audit the completed work and ensure it will increase the efficiency of the building by at least 25 percent before approving the subsidy.

The state is accepting proposals from interested firms until Tuesday, and then it might take weeks or even months to pick winning candidates.

Last week the state Office of Energy Resources announced it was distributing $12.2 million in federal stimulus money to local community-action agencies to pay the complete costs of weatherizing houses of low-income residents. More recently, utilities have been offering subsidies to gas and electric customers to encourage conservation.

But this is the first time federal stimulus dollars have been targeted for people who don’t meet low-income standards and aren’t served by one of the utility programs.

The principal items that will be covered by the program are caulking, furnaces, air conditioners, ventilation equipment, screens, shades and insulation.About 42 percent of Rhode Island homes are heated with oil, according to Kenneth Payne, a staffer at the energy office.

Payne and David Cordeiro of the energy office said an announcement will be made when the program is ready for the public.The new assistance program was recommended by People’s Power & Light, the Providence-based nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency and conservation.

Deputy director Karina Lutz said people who heat with oil have been left out of programs to improve conservation and energy efficiency in their homes. The group will continue seeking a tax on oil sales to support more such programs, she said. Oil companies would benefit, she said, as people replaced or repaired old, inefficient oil furnaces.

plord@projo.com