GetWithGreen.com » Rebates http://www.getwithgreen.com Green Home Improvement Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:35:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Energy-efficient homes: Cheaper to own, more expenive to buy. Why? http://www.getwithgreen.com/2010/01/25/energy-efficient-homes-cheaper-to-own-more-expenive-to-buy-why/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2010/01/25/energy-efficient-homes-cheaper-to-own-more-expenive-to-buy-why/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:13:00 +0000 Douglas Fischer http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/269/energy-efficient-homes-cheaper-to-own-more-expenive-to-buy-why.html EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Krista and Micah Fuerst were looking near here to buy their first place together, and had narrowed it down to two houses: One built 25 years ago, the other brand new and built to strict energy efficiency standards. The couple's choice was easy: They picked the Energy Star home, which the U.S. had certified because it will use about one-fifth to one-third less energy than a comparable home.

But they're in the minority. Most homebuyers don't think about the ongoing costs of home ownership beyond the mortgage and taxes; using energy costs, too. And fewer still think about the pollution that energy use creates, but home energy use accounts for 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The proportion of newly built Energy Star homes is growing, but still only represents 20 percent of new homes built in 2009, according to Sam Rashkin, national director of the Home Energy Star program.

Despite the slow increase in newly built efficient homes, some 99 percent of existing houses are "sick" -- damp, drafty, dusty, noisy and expensive to heat and cool. They "could be made at least 30 percent more energy-efficient with highly cost-effective, tried-and-true energy-efficiency improvements," according to Rashkin. A 30% reduction in energy use is a 30% reduction in home energy costs; newly built Energy Star homes have, since 1995, saved homeowners an estimated $1.2 billion.

The Energy Star program won't fix those old houses. Energy Star designations go to the cream of the housing stock; if just one in five new homes meets these standards, far fewer renovations do. So if energy efficient homes cost homeowners less and pollute less, why aren't they more commonplace? Experts say economics and regulations are the root of the problem: Mortgages are structured in ways that fail to recognize the benefits of energy efficiency, while a patchwork of inconsistent and ill-enforced energy codes provides conflicting signals to industry.

Meanwhile consumers remain largely unaware of efficiency's advantages, advocates say, thereby bypassing an easy target for considerable cuts in national carbon emissions -- and home energy bills.

In this sense the Fuersts are typical of many homebuyers. Both in their late twenties, the Fuersts were aware of Energy Star-rated appliances, but didn't know the label also applied to homes, said Krista Fuerst, a childcare director. Their home, which wouldn't stand out in any new subdivision, and they mostly just wanted a place big enough to raise a family. They traded slightly longer commutes for smaller energy bills and freedom from costly renovations.

"We're certainly conscious of the environment," she explained, "but we're not hyper-conscious. We're not extreme green."

Of course, the ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems, high-performance windows and other features that make the homes exceptionally comfortable also make them a bit pricier. The added cost for a new Energy Star home may only be about the price of a night at the movies on each month's mortgage payment, but it's enough to scare off many potential buyers.

"It's an incredibly smart choice," Rashkin said, since smaller utility bills more than offset the higher price. "But consumers are overwhelmed by first cost."

Energy-efficient mortgages

To get buyers over that hump, a handful of specialized mortgage options have for decades given buyers more cash up front, since they'll save on energy costs. But nobody's buying. Before the mortgage crisis, when loans were easier to come by and energy was relatively cheap, energy-efficient mortgages weren't very enticing, experts say, and lenders didn't bother with them. Now the specialized options are more valuable, but lenders have grown accustomed to ignoring them.

"It's really unfortunate," said Jennifer Amann, buildings program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "Energy-efficient mortgages have been available now for 20 years or so, but they're a really underutilized tool."

While energy-efficient mortgages are a good idea, there's a more obvious solution, according to Cliff Majersik, executive director of the Institute for Market Transformation, which advocates for energy efficiency: Make all mortgages – not just specialized ones – account for energy use.

"The fact is that energy-efficient homes have much lower foreclosure and delinquency rates. So that's a market failure, that we're not giving homeowners credit for buying good, efficient homes," Majersik said. "The challenge is that there are processes that have been in place for a long time, and there's pretty clear evidence that they've let us down."

The House climate bill includes a handful of provisions that would reward buyers of efficient homes. For example, the Federal Housing Administration would be required to insure at least 50,000 energy-efficient mortgages over three years, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would make the kind of wholesale changes to underwriting guidelines sought by Rashkin, Majersik and others. Another provision would enforce a national building code that would improve efficiency on new buildings by 30% immediately, and 70% by 2029. Currently, states can adopt any building codes they want, so requirements vary widely.

Homebuilders say they'll build more efficient homes when buyers ask for them, but demand won't grow until more people understand the benefits of efficiency. Many who have lived in energy efficient homes are convinced.

"The house is heated very evenly," Krista Fuerst explained. "There are no cold spots and no drafts." They set the thermostat at 67 degrees -- much lower than would have been comfortable in their rental -- and turn it down to 57 when they leave in the morning, but the temperature never drops that low, even after 12-hour days. So far their heating bills have been just over half what they paid last winter. "Now that we have lived in an energy-efficient house," she said, "it would be very difficult to go back."

Douglas Fischer is editor of Daily Climate, one of The Daily Green's trusted sources of information. This post is republished with permission.

More from The Daily Green

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

]]> Energy Star home, which the U.S. had certified because it will use about one-fifth to one-third less energy than a comparable home. But they're in the minority. Most homebuyers don't think about the ongoing costs of home ownership beyond the mortgage and taxes; using energy costs, too. And fewer still think about the pollution that energy use creates, but home energy use accounts for 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The proportion of newly built Energy Star homes is growing, but still only represents 20 percent of new homes built in 2009, according to Sam Rashkin, national director of the Home Energy Star program. Despite the slow increase in newly built efficient homes, some 99 percent of existing houses are "sick" -- damp, drafty, dusty, noisy and expensive to heat and cool. They "could be made at least 30 percent more energy-efficient with highly cost-effective, tried-and-true energy-efficiency improvements," according to Rashkin. A 30% reduction in energy use is a 30% reduction in home energy costs; newly built Energy Star homes have, since 1995, saved homeowners an estimated $1.2 billion. The Energy Star program won't fix those old houses. Energy Star designations go to the cream of the housing stock; if just one in five new homes meets these standards, far fewer renovations do. So if energy efficient homes cost homeowners less and pollute less, why aren't they more commonplace? Experts say economics and regulations are the root of the problem: Mortgages are structured in ways that fail to recognize the benefits of energy efficiency, while a patchwork of inconsistent and ill-enforced energy codes provides conflicting signals to industry. Meanwhile consumers remain largely unaware of efficiency's advantages, advocates say, thereby bypassing an easy target for considerable cuts in national carbon emissions -- and home energy bills. In this sense the Fuersts are typical of many homebuyers. Both in their late twenties, the Fuersts were aware of Energy Star-rated appliances, but didn't know the label also applied to homes, said Krista Fuerst, a childcare director. Their home, which wouldn't stand out in any new subdivision, and they mostly just wanted a place big enough to raise a family. They traded slightly longer commutes for smaller energy bills and freedom from costly renovations. "We're certainly conscious of the environment," she explained, "but we're not hyper-conscious. We're not extreme green." Of course, the ultra-efficient heating and cooling systems, high-performance windows and other features that make the homes exceptionally comfortable also make them a bit pricier. The added cost for a new Energy Star home may only be about the price of a night at the movies on each month's mortgage payment, but it's enough to scare off many potential buyers. "It's an incredibly smart choice," Rashkin said, since smaller utility bills more than offset the higher price. "But consumers are overwhelmed by first cost."

Energy-efficient mortgages

To get buyers over that hump, a handful of specialized mortgage options have for decades given buyers more cash up front, since they'll save on energy costs. But nobody's buying. Before the mortgage crisis, when loans were easier to come by and energy was relatively cheap, energy-efficient mortgages weren't very enticing, experts say, and lenders didn't bother with them. Now the specialized options are more valuable, but lenders have grown accustomed to ignoring them. "It's really unfortunate," said Jennifer Amann, buildings program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "Energy-efficient mortgages have been available now for 20 years or so, but they're a really underutilized tool." While energy-efficient mortgages are a good idea, there's a more obvious solution, according to Cliff Majersik, executive director of the Institute for Market Transformation, which advocates for energy efficiency: Make all mortgages – not just specialized ones – account for energy use. "The fact is that energy-efficient homes have much lower foreclosure and delinquency rates. So that's a market failure, that we're not giving homeowners credit for buying good, efficient homes," Majersik said. "The challenge is that there are processes that have been in place for a long time, and there's pretty clear evidence that they've let us down." The House climate bill includes a handful of provisions that would reward buyers of efficient homes. For example, the Federal Housing Administration would be required to insure at least 50,000 energy-efficient mortgages over three years, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would make the kind of wholesale changes to underwriting guidelines sought by Rashkin, Majersik and others. Another provision would enforce a national building code that would improve efficiency on new buildings by 30% immediately, and 70% by 2029. Currently, states can adopt any building codes they want, so requirements vary widely. Homebuilders say they'll build more efficient homes when buyers ask for them, but demand won't grow until more people understand the benefits of efficiency. Many who have lived in energy efficient homes are convinced. "The house is heated very evenly," Krista Fuerst explained. "There are no cold spots and no drafts." They set the thermostat at 67 degrees -- much lower than would have been comfortable in their rental -- and turn it down to 57 when they leave in the morning, but the temperature never drops that low, even after 12-hour days. So far their heating bills have been just over half what they paid last winter. "Now that we have lived in an energy-efficient house," she said, "it would be very difficult to go back." Douglas Fischer is editor of Daily Climate, one of The Daily Green's trusted sources of information. This post is republished with permission. More from The Daily Green Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2010/01/25/energy-efficient-homes-cheaper-to-own-more-expenive-to-buy-why/feed/ 0 Solatube eChoice makes tubular skylights more efficient & less expensive http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/06/30/solatube-echoice-makes-tubular-skylights-more-efficient-less-expensive/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/06/30/solatube-echoice-makes-tubular-skylights-more-efficient-less-expensive/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:00:05 +0000 admin http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=800

Solatube recently announced upgrades to two models of their tubular daylighting devices (tubular skylights).  The upgrades qualify their products for a 30% Federal Tax Credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The two qualifying products are the 160DSe and the 290DSe.  Both are improvements upon the 160DS (the one I installed in my home), and the 290DS.

Solatube is the first company with tubular daylighting devices that exceed low Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC), and U-Factor ratings specified in the federal Act.     This is why their products qualify for the Federal tax credit!

What are SHGC and U-Factor you ask?  These ratings come from the National Fenestration Rating Council. We demystify both terms in detail for you in a previous article here on GetWithGreen.  Essentially, a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient means that your window or tubular device will block heat from sunlight.  A low U-Factor means that heat has a difficult time escaping.  These ratings matter to you because the tube from these skylights runs through your attic.  You want to prevent as much heat from coming in during the summer, and limit the amount of heat lost during the winter.    The lower these ratings, the less your attic heats, the more energy you save!

We have much more information on tubular skylight or daylighting systems here on GetWithGreen.com.  Read this related article:

See more on Daylighting Systems from GetWithGreen.com

For those of you striving for LEED certification in your remodel, tubular daylighting products/skylights also satisfy the daylighting credit of the certification process.

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/06/30/solatube-echoice-makes-tubular-skylights-more-efficient-less-expensive/feed/ 12 Save over 1 gallon per flush – high efficiency toilets (HETs)work http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/06/28/save-over-1-gallon-per-flush-high-efficiency-toilets-hetswork/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/06/28/save-over-1-gallon-per-flush-high-efficiency-toilets-hetswork/#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:28:50 +0000 David Putnam http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=787

High efficiency toilets, or HETs have been on the market now for years.  We wrote about them two years ago when we launched GetWithGreen.com.

Essentially high efficiency toilets conserve a lot of water.  Many older toilets use 3.5-5 gallons of water per flush, and newer high efficiency toilets from Kohler or Caroma use far less (0.8-1.6 gallons).

Having recently installed Kohler Revival HETs in my remodel, I am extremely pleased with the quality.  Even with two small kids cramming just a bit too much toilet paper, the toilets perform incredibly well.  Also, since so little water is used, the toilet does not run for five minutes afterwards!

Make sure you check with your manufacturer of choice, and your local water company for rebates after purchasing your new toilets.  There are many programs available to save money.  Here is an example of a special savings from Caroma that is offered in a drought affected portion of Texas:

City of Alamo Heights Launches Toilet Replacement Program
Caroma and Morrison Supply help save water and costs with dual flush high efficiency toilets

Caroma, the leader in dual flush toilets and stylish sinks, is partnering with the City of Alamo Heights and Morrison Supply Company in Texas on a toilet replacement program for Alamo Heights water customers. The new program started on June 10th, 2009.

Due to drought conditions, Alamo Heights is experiencing Stage 1 water restrictions. This includes limiting landscape watering to one designated day per week at specific hours, no impervious outdoor ground washing (parking lot, driveway, etc.), restaurants serving water only when customers request, and several additional restrictions. As part of these ongoing efforts to conserve limited water supplies, the City of Alamo Heights has created the toilet voucher replacement program to help conserve water in the house.

Approximately 30% of water in the home is used to flush a toilet. Many older toilets use 3.5 or 5 gallons of water per flush. The voucher rebate program enables homeowners to purchase a water-efficient Caroma toilet at a reduced cost andqualify for a $50 water bill credit with original proof of purchase. Two vouchers and two credits are available per occupied unit.

Eligible High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) are toilets that utilize no more than 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf). All Caroma toilets are high efficiency and feature a two button dual flush system that averages just 0.9-0.96 gallons per flush. This allows the user to choose a full flush (1.28 – 1.6 gallons per flush depending on model) for solid waste or 0.8 gallons per flush for liquid and paper waste. Based on an average flush volume of 0.9-0.96 gpf, the average house will save 40-44% more water than a standard 1.6 gallon toilet (the national mandate) and up to 74% more water than a 3.5 gallon toilet, which are still commonly installed in homes today.

“Water conservation has become extremely important as our water resources are becoming scarcer,” states Shawn Eddy, Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Works for the City of Alamo Heights. “By just replacing 3.5 to 5 gallon per flush toilets with high efficiency toilets, the city estimates a savings of 8,130 gallons of water per year. That is approximately 22 gallons of water per toilet per day.”

To find out more about the toilet replacement rebate program for City of Alamo Heights water customers and to obtain your rebate voucher, visit their website at www.alamoheightstx.gov. Toilets purchased through the Morrison Supply airport location are available for rebate, and the hours of operation are Monday – Friday from 7:30am – 5:00pm.

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2009/06/28/save-over-1-gallon-per-flush-high-efficiency-toilets-hetswork/feed/ 6 Congress votes YES, President signs bill, Solar tax credits back on! http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/10/04/congress-votes-yes-president-signs-bill-solar-tax-credits-back-on/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/10/04/congress-votes-yes-president-signs-bill-solar-tax-credits-back-on/#comments Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:37:13 +0000 GetGreen http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=646

From CNNMoney.com

After months of failed attempts in Congress to extend crucial renewable energy tax credits, the end-game came with lightning speed Friday afternoon: The House of Representatives passed the green incentives attached to the financial bailout package approved by the Senate Wednesday night and President Bush promptly signed the legislation into law.

There were goodies for wind, geothermal and alternative fuels, but the big winner by far was the solar industry.

“It feels like we should be popping the champagne,” said a Silicon Valley solar exec Green Wombat met for lunch minutes after Bush put pen to paper.

That it took the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression to save billions of dollars of renewable projects in the pipeline for the sake of political expediency does not bode well for a national alternative energy policy. But the bottom line is that the legislation passed Friday sets the stage for a potential solar boom.

  • The $2,000 tax credit limit for residential solar systems has been lifted, meaning that homeowners can get a 30% tax credit on the solar panels they install after Dec. 31. That will save a bundle – especially for those who live in states with generous state rebates – and goose demand for solar panel makers and installers like SunPower (SPWRA) and First Solar (FSLR). (If you buy a $24,000 3-kilowatt solar array in California – big enough to power the average home – you can claim a $7,200 federal tax credit. Add in the state solar rebate and the cost of the system is cut in half.)
  • Utilities like PG&E (PCG), Southern California Edison (EIX) and FPL (FPL) can now themselves claim the 30% investment tax credit for large-scale solar power projects. That should encourage those well-capitalized utilities to build their own solar power plants rather than just sign power purchase agreements with startups like Ausra and BrightSource Energy.

“The brakes are off,” says Danny Kennedy, co-founder of Sungevity, a Berkeley, Calif., solar installer that uses imaging technology to remotely size and design solar arrays. “In just six months since our launch we’ve sold about a hundred systems. With an uncapped tax credit for homeowners going solar, we expect business to boom.”

While elated sound bites from solar executives have been flooding the inbox all afternoon – along with invites to celebratory after-work drinks – solar stocks took a drubbing (along with the rest of the still-spooked market) after initially soaring on the news.

SunPower ended the trading day down 5% while First Solar shares dropped 8%. The bright spot was China?s Suntech (STP), which on Thursday announced a joint venture with financier MMA Renewable Ventures to build solar power plants as well as the acquisition of California-based solar panel installer EI Solutions.

Congress didn’t treat the wind industry so generously. The production tax credit for generating renewable energy was extended by just one year, guaranteeing the industry’s will continue to live year by year (at least through 2009). But given that 30% of all new power generation built in the United States in 2007 was wind, and that the amount of wind power installed by the end of 2008 is expected to rise 60% over the record set last year, the wind biz should do just fine.

But Congress did give a break to those who buy small-scale wind turbines. Systems under 100 kilowatts qualify for a 30% tax credit up to $4,000. Homeowners get a $1,000 tax credit for each kilowatt of wind they install, though the credit is capped at $4,000.

“This is a huge breakthrough for small wind,” says Scott Weinbrandt, president of Helix Wind, a San Diego-based manufacturer of 2-and-4-kilowatt turbines.

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/10/04/congress-votes-yes-president-signs-bill-solar-tax-credits-back-on/feed/ 1 REBATES: No sales tax for Energy Star products purchased in Georgia. http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/10/03/rebates-no-sales-tax-for-energy-star-products-purchased-in-georgia/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/10/03/rebates-no-sales-tax-for-energy-star-products-purchased-in-georgia/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:00:46 +0000 GetGreen http://www.getwithgreen.com/2007/09/21/rebates-no-sales-tax-for-energy-star-products-purchased-in-georgia/

2008 Energy Efficient Products Sales Tax Holiday  October 2008 – for GEORGIA residents

In an effort to help Georgians conserve energy and water, save money and protect the environment, today Governor Perdue announced Georgia’s fourth annual ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday has been expanded for the first time to include WaterSense labeled products.

Georgians will not pay state or local sales taxes on the purchase of energy efficient or water efficient products that cost $1,500 or less per item.

The sales tax holiday begins at 12:01a.m. Thursday, October 2, 2008 and runs through midnight Sunday, October 5, 2008.

ENERGY STAR designated products meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Qualified ENERGY STAR appliances and products include dishwashers, clothes washers, air conditioners, ceiling fans, fluorescent light bulbs, dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats, refrigerators, doors and windows.

Many ENERGY STAR qualified appliances use 30 percent less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features, style or comfort. Some products, such as energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, save as much as 80 percent.

For more information and to better understand the options and benefits of ENERGY STAR qualified products, visit the interactive ENERGY STAR @ Home tool at www.energystar.gov.

The EPA created the WaterSense program to recognize major water consuming products that are 20 percent more water-efficient and perform as well as or better than conventional models. Currently, 264 high efficiency toilets and 209 bathroom faucets and faucet accessories meet the designation and can be found at a variety of price points at retailers across the state.

“WaterSense is an opportunity for Georgians to make an important choice to help the environment,”  said Carol A. Couch, director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

“The rewards are many, but the most immediate one is the savings you see on your water bill.”

According to the EPA, installing WaterSense labeled fixtures can have an enormous impact on the amount of water people use in their bathrooms, and the cost of water on their utility bills:

  • EPA estimates that a family of four that replaces its home’s older toilets with WaterSense labeled models will, using national average water rates, save more than $90 per year in reduced water utility bills, and $2,000 over the lifetime of the toilets.
  • If half of the households in Georgia replaced toilets installed before 1994 with WaterSense labeled high-efficiency toilets (HETs), the savings would be more than 18 billion gallons per year, enough to supply Savannah and surrounding communities in Chatham County for a whole year.
  • If every household in Georgia installed high-efficiency faucets or faucet aerators, it would save more than five million gallons a day, that’s saving enough water to fill every tank in Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium, the world’s largest, in about 37 hours.

For toilets, the key requirements are using no more than 1.28 gallons per flush and solid waste removal of 350 grams or more, ensuring that people won’t have to flush multiple times.

Faucets limit flow to 1.5 gallons per minute while still delivering 60 psi of pressure.

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/10/03/rebates-no-sales-tax-for-energy-star-products-purchased-in-georgia/feed/ 2 National Grid offers new energy efficiency rebates for gas customers http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/21/national-grid-offers-new-energy-efficiency-rebates-for-gas-customers/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/21/national-grid-offers-new-energy-efficiency-rebates-for-gas-customers/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:55:03 +0000 David Putnam http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=422

Massachusetts’s resident?  New Hampshire?  New York City, Long Island, Rhode Island?   National Grid customers can now take advantage of new rebates for natural gas and energy efficiency improvements.

Natural Grid recently launched their Think Smart Think Green website which details how National Grid gas customers can save on rebates for energy efficiency improvements such as Programmable Thermostats, Boiler Reset Controls, High-efficiency heating equipment, water heating, weatherizing, replacement windows, and solar water heaters.

Wherever you live, make sure you check with your utility provider for rebates during your remodel – because there are lots of them out there!
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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/21/national-grid-offers-new-energy-efficiency-rebates-for-gas-customers/feed/ 1 Government tax credits and rebates coming for green improvements? http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/20/government-tax-credits-and-rebates-coming-for-green-improvements/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/20/government-tax-credits-and-rebates-coming-for-green-improvements/#comments Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:47:31 +0000 David Putnam http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=389

Reuters reports this week that the U.S. Senate will be voting as early as Tuesday on new energy tax credits for homeowners who are remodeling.  The voting on legislation would extend tax breaks and incentives for renewable energy production and energy-efficiency measures taken by homeowners.

Negotiators hammered out the extensive tax rebate package to continue investment credits for solar, wind, and geothermal energy. It also creates a new tax credit for purchasers of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Homeowners could get a 30 percent tax credit for eight additional years for the cost of installing solar equipment at residences.

Homeowners could claim a tax credit of up to 10 percent of the costs of all qualified energy efficiency improvements, such as insulation, replacement windows, water heaters and heating and cooling equipment.

“This compromise will enable us to become a more energy efficient nation and wean us off our dependence on fossil fuels,” said Democrat Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

For detailed information on the legislation see the United States Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/20/government-tax-credits-and-rebates-coming-for-green-improvements/feed/ 1 Are you taking advantage of refrigerator & freezer recycle rebates? http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/18/are-you-taking-advantage-of-refrigerator-freezer-recycle-rebates/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/18/are-you-taking-advantage-of-refrigerator-freezer-recycle-rebates/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:53:49 +0000 David Putnam http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=382

As you are demo’ing your house in preparation for your remodel, stop before you take that used refrigerator or freezer to the dump! There are organizations that will haul away your refrigerator or freezer, pay you a rebate, and then recycle it!

Southern California Edison (SCE) is one such organization. They will pay you to recycle your old refrigerator or freezer. You will receive a $50 check for that working refrigerator or freezer. And, by swapping your old appliances with new, energy-efficient ones or disposing of a spare unit, you can save up to $292 per year on your energy bill says SCE (savings based on 2006, assuming average use and conditions. Actual savings may vary according to SCE).

To be eligible, you must be an SCE customer. The appliance must be picked up at your SCE service address. The appliance must be in working condition at the time of pick up. The size of the appliance must be between 10-27 cubic feet.

Check your local utility for similar rebate and recycle programs for appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers!

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/09/18/are-you-taking-advantage-of-refrigerator-freezer-recycle-rebates/feed/ 1 REBATES: Lowe’s is offering another 10% discount day http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/06/26/rebates-lowes-is-offering-another-10-discount-day/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/06/26/rebates-lowes-is-offering-another-10-discount-day/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:55:18 +0000 David Putnam http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=265

In the spirit of the 4th of July, Lowe’s is offering a 10% Discount on purchases up to $5,000 for Active, Reserve, Honorably,  discharged, and Retired Military Personnel and Their Families.

If you qualify for this, get out and save some money on greener alternative products at Lowe’s such as:

 

 

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]]> http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/06/26/rebates-lowes-is-offering-another-10-discount-day/feed/ 0 WINDOWS: How do you find rebates for your new windows? http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/06/21/windows-how-do-you-find-rebates-for-your-new-windows/ http://www.getwithgreen.com/2008/06/21/windows-how-do-you-find-rebates-for-your-new-windows/#comments Sun, 22 Jun 2008 05:40:07 +0000 David Putnam http://www.getwithgreen.com/?p=260

window house pellaWhether you select Pella, Andersen, Marvin, JELD-WEN, or another brand, windows are almost a certainty in your home remodel project.  Did you know there are rebates and incentive plans in many areas of the country?

Window rebates are most often paid out based on the U-factor or Solar Heat Gain Coefficient by your power or Utility company.  Many times these rebates have a budget, and once they are used up they are gone – so submit yours as soon as you can if there is a program in your area.

GetWithGreen searched the web and found you a fairly comprehensive list of rebates.  Click here for the .pdf list of Utility Programs that Offer Incentives and Rebates for Energy Efficient Windows

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