As published in the Lafayette Today newspaper.
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Are your utility bills out of control? If you’ve been thinking about how to make your home more energy efficient, this year could be a perfect time to pull the trigger on some upgrades, because there are more rebates and credits available in 2010 than anytime in recent history! In addition to all the normal rebates offered by PG&E, there are additional incentives offered by the State and a special federal tax credit (up to $1,500) being offered. So, for example you could add more insulation to your attic and get 30% of the project paid for (as a tax credit), get up to a $150 rebate per 1000 square feet (from PG&E), and save on your heating bill every month!
Most homes are full of money-saving opportunities. Did you know:
- Leaking ductwork accounts for more than 25-30% of heating costs in an average California home.
- A new high-efficiency clothes washer can save up to 7000 gallons of water annually and $550 in operating costs over its lifetime compared to a regular model.
- Newer furnaces with electronic ignition systems can run up to 15% more efficiently than standard models.
Assess Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
A good overview of how to do your own energy audit can be found at Flex Your Power: http://www.fypower.org/res/energyaudit/diy.html
For a free online tool check out the PG&E SmartEnergy Analyzer or Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory “Home Energy Saver”:
http://www.pge.com/myhome/saveenergymoney/analyzer/en/
http://hes.lbl.gov/
Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces) is the Bay Area's leader in home energy audits and green energy remodeling. They offer a very popular home energy audit for $295. You receive a comprehensive report on the energy efficiency of your home and recommended upgrades. More info at www.recurve.org.
Understanding All the Rebates Available
Another important area to understand is all the credits and rebates available so you can estimate the actual cost of an upgrade, after all the discounts are applied.
The headline is that there is currently a federal tax credit (available through 2010) for energy-efficiency projects for existing homes. Up to 30 percent of the cost of a project is eligible for tax credits (up to $1,500 per home) for the following:
- Insulation, duct sealing and infiltration reduction
- Energy-efficient windows and skylights
- High efficiency central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps
- High efficiency gas furnaces and boilers
- High efficiency water heaters
In addition to the tax credits, PG&E offers rebates on hundreds of energy-efficient products including duct sealing (up to $400), attic & wall insulation (up to $500), furnaces (up to $300), whole-house fans (up to $100), energy-efficient appliances, hot water heaters (up to $50), “cool roofs”, and much more. More information at the following URL: http://www.pge.com/rebates/
The California State Energy Commission is also using stimulus funds to offer additional rebates for energy-efficient appliances, on top of the ones already offered by PG&E. This program will roll out in Spring 2010 and the likely rebates are: clothes washers (proposed rebate $100), refrigerators (proposed rebate $75), and room air conditioners (proposed rebate $50). More info at: http://www.energy.ca.gov/recovery/energystar.html
A brand new rebate is also available for solar hot water heating systems. Just approved in January 2010, the California Solar Initiative (CSI)-Thermal program will provide rebates to customers who install eligible solar water heating systems in their home or business.
2010 has more incentives than ever and by making energy-efficiency upgrades to your home this year you can likely reduce your energy usage by 5-40%, reduce your PG&E bill even more, and reduce your environmental impact!
To find more tips and success stories about how residents in Lafayette have reduced their environmental impact, please visit www.sustainablelafayette.net.
link to PDF of Lafayette Today that
included article on page 8