Did you know that you can make improvements to your home that will reduce energy costs, improve comfort and indoor air quality, and then recoup up to $1000 of the costs? It's a real winner. The benefits, up to $500 each, come from two places: A rebate from TVA, and a Federal Tax Credit.
The TVA rebate is obtained through the energyright program. You can go to the energyright Web page to find out how to schedule an in-home energy evaluation. This typically costs $50, which TVA will refund if you do some of the improvements. The TVA Adviser will look at your home and give you a report telling you some recommended energy improvements. These are typically suggestions to air seal, insulate, seal leaky ducts, and replace windows. Then you can choose a Quality Contractor from the TVA list to do the improvements. The Energy Adviser will inspect the work to make sure it is done properly, then process your rebate. Financing plans are also available in some utility districts.
The Federal Government recently renewed the Tax Credit for residential energy improvements, including for the types of retrofits listed above as well as for renewable energy installations like solar panels and geothermal heat and air. You can get the forms and further information here.
The Tax Credit is in addition to the TVA rebate. They are not mutually exclusive. But if you have already taken the maximum tax credit in prior years, you cannot take it again.
Taking advantage of these incentives is a great way to fund energy retrofits. And doing so will continue to save you money on utilities as time goes on, so it's the gift that keeps on giving.
Lora Corder
Build Green--Save Energy!
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