The Federal Government and
some states and utilities and quasi public institutions offer rebates
and tax incentives for energy-efficient upgrades. Cash rebates will
lower your costs when purchasing high efficiency appliances, pumps,
heating and cooling appliances, solar and
wind.
The American Council for an
Energy Efficient Economy ( ACEEE). The American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting both economic
prosperity and environmental protection.
Rebate programs are most
common for energy intensive appliances such as refrigerators, air
conditioning equipment, and clothes washers. However, we have seen
utilities offer cash rebates for large items including rebates for
high-efficiency furnaces, sump pumps and water pumps while water
utilities may offer rebates for water-saving clothes washers. If you
plan to buy a major item soon go to our directory of state utility web
sites and see what rebates they offer if you intend to upgrade to a
more energy efficient product. For more information on rebates and
state tax incentive programs, visit the ACEEE Web site for a
state-by-state summary of programs at: http://www.aceee.org/new/eedb.htm
A number of states have
introduced tax incentives—typically income tax credits or elimination
of state sales tax—for the purchase of high-efficiency appliances. The
Energy Policy Act of 2005 enacted new federal tax credits for consumers
for 2006 and 2007.
For more information on
rebates and state tax incentive programs, visit the ACEEE Web site for
a state-by-state summary of programs.
As of our last look the data base included the following states offering energy rebate programs.
Arizona California Colorado
Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Illinois Maine Maryland
Massachusetts Montana New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New
York Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Texas Utah Vermont Wisconsin
Wyoming
Given the acute rise in
energy costs and the governments need to address rising energy costs,
we think that all states will be offering rebates and energy savings
programs of all kinds. There is much money to be saved by researching this area if you are upgrading or building. We
will do our best to continue to locate cost savings programs for you.
In some areas organizations
have coordinated with the statewide and utility programs that provide
energy efficiency programs and services. The regional market
transformation organizations in the US are:
The Northeast Energy
Efficiency Partnerships (www.neep.org). A regional nonprofit
organization founded in 1996 whose mission is to promote energy
efficiency in homes, buildings and industry in the Northeast through
regionally coordinated programs. A list of participating utilities with
energy efficiency programs for the North East can be found here at
http://www.neep.org
Northwest Energy
Efficiency Alliance (www.nwalliance.org). The Northwest Energy
Efficiency Alliance is a non-profit corporation supported by electric
utilities, public benefits administrators, state governments, public
interest groups and energy efficiency industry representatives.
Midwest Energy Efficiency
Alliance (www.mwalliance.org). The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
(MEEA) is a collaborative network whose purpose is to advance energy
efficiency in the Midwest in order to support sustainable economic
development and environmental preservation. There are some energy
efficiency incentives offered here at: www.mwalliance.org
Southwestern Energy
Efficiency Partnerships (www.swenergy.org). The Southwest Energy
Efficiency Project (SWEEP) is promoting greater energy efficiency in a
six-state region. The following link: www.swenergy.org provides a list of
ongoing state, local, and utility policies and programs to advance
energy efficiency in each of the Southwest states.
Federal Government Incentives
Fannie Mae Corporation
Fannie Mae provides conventional mortgages for energy efficient
mortgages. They also provide residential loans for energy efficiency
upgrades, including solar water & space heating systems and PV.
They are located at www.fanniemae.com
Federal Home Mortgage
Loan Corp (Freddie Mac): Freddie Mac provides conventional mortgages for
energy efficiency mortgages. They are located freddiemac.com
U S. Department of
Agriculture:The USDA's Rural Housing Service, Rural
Business-Cooperative Service provides assistance up for solar thermal
systems and PV. They are located at www.usda.gov
U.S. Department of Energy:
DOE provides several programs, the State Energy Conservation and
Weatherization Assistance. The amount of funding and eligibility under
these programs varies. They typically cover energy-efficient features
and equipment, solar thermal systems, and PV systems. They are at www.doe.gov
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency: EPA's Energy Star-Rated Home and Energy Star-Rated
Building programs provide funding at levels guided by Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac limits. Eligible expenses are for energy-efficient features
making home up to 30% more efficient than code; solar thermal water and
space heating; PV. They are at: www.epa.gov
HUD: The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development's Section 203 (K) rehabilitation loan
program. This program is available for one to four units; condominiums
are excluded, and are designed to provide funds for the purchase of
property that will be fixed up. HUD provided a number for more
information. Try this
link http://www.hud.gov/
Federal Housing
administrations Title 1 Loan Program: You can rehab a home with HUD
203K program. Here is a link for programs in your state -
http://www.hud.gov
