Double rebates for low and moderate income families
Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - By Laura Parsons
Energy Heroes, you probably already know that you can get up to $4,000 for home energy upgrades from the statewide Energy Upgrade California rebate program. For a short time, the City of San Diego is offering matching rebates for low and moderate income households that participate in Energy Upgrade California. If you qualify, you could get up to $8,000 for home energy upgrades! Here’s how the rebate structure pencils out:
A case study
That’s a lot of numbers, so let’s look at an example. Nancy did an upgrade on her 1958 home in Clairemont (part of the City of San Diego). Based on the results of her home energy assessment, her contractor recommended getting a more efficient furnace, adding attic and duct insulation, and sealing up the leaks in her ducts and building envelope. The total project cost came to $8,600.
Now here’s where the savings came in to play. As part of the project, Nancy’s contractor entered information from her home – things like the thickness of her insulation and cubic feet per minute of her home’s air leakage – into energy modeling software. The software projected that her upgrades would save her 21% on her energy use. Because Nancy met the income requirements, she got a total of $4,000 back (see chart above).
“Before the upgrades were installed, the house was quite drafty especially during the winter months, and it was pretty cold,” Nancy said. “The old furnace would take the chill off but the house would not stay warm.” She ended up getting a comprehensive home energy upgrade that reduced her monthly utility bills and keeps her home warmer in winter for $4,600.
(Remember, the costs and savings associated with these upgrades won’t necessarily apply to your home… get an assessment to get the numbers for your specific home!)
Who qualifies for the extra rebates?
Households within the City of San Diego that meet the following income requirements (proof of eligibility may be required):
The clock is ticking
The matching rebates are available until the end of 2012 or until funding runs out – so we recommend you act now. Simply take five minutes to complete Levels 1 and 2 of the San Diego Hero Alliance; then we can send you a $300 voucher for your home energy assessment, which will provide you with a list of recommended upgrades and a breakdown of your costs and rebates. Be sure to let your contractor know that you qualify for the City of San Diego’s matching rebates!
Don’t qualify for the matching rebates? You can still get up to $4,000 through Energy Upgrade California. The San Diego Hero Alliance is here to help you, as members of our military and veteran community, tap into all available rebates for home energy upgrades. As always, keep your questions coming and we are happy to help.