Rebates Available to Homeowners Who Improve Energy Efficiency

A statewide energy efficiency program is holding a workshop next month in Half Moon Bay to educate homeowners on how to increase their energy efficiency — and apply for thousands of dollars in rebates.

Up to four thousand dollars in rebates are currently available for participants throughout California.

Last August, San Mateo County launched a matching program which doubled the maximum who make energy-efficient repairs by March 2012. Funding for San Mateo County's match program was made available through stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The matching program has since run out of funds, said Napallo Gomez-Somer of Energy Upgrade California.

According to the organization, the program creates local jobs with area contractors, reduces energy use, and helps homeowners save money.

“The before and after results of upgrades are often impressive, with homeowners reducing their energy consumption by 10 to 50 percent," said Colin Clark, staff member at Energy Upgrade California.

Clark says that most homes have gaps and cracks in ceilings, walls and ducts.

"When added together, those gaps and cracks are equivalent to having a hole in the house the size of a hula hoop,” he said.

Homeowners who participate in the program will receive a home energy assessment that takes into account the overall energy consumption of the house, rather than that of individual appliances alone, according to Energy Upgrade California.

Assessors will recommend potential upgrades that could be made to the house, such as installation of a high-efficiency heater or air conditioner, insulation, changes to ducts and registers, or new windows to address “air leakage” in or out of a home.

The organization pledges that homeowners attending the workshop will leave with a "firm understanding" of how to:

• Lower their utilities bill and reduce energy use

• Increase home comfort and indoor air quality

• Get started on a home energy upgrade right away

The Half Moon Bay workshop will be held on Wed., Feb. 8 from
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at (500 Purissima St.). RSVP by clicking here.

For more information, watch the video produced by Energy Upgrade California in the media box at right.

Clarification 1/30: Energy Upgrade California has notified Half Moon Bay Patch that the San Mateo County matching rebate funds has since been completely used up by county homeowners. The current maximum amount of rebates available to county homeowners is $4,000.

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