June 27, 2019
Sure, every homeowner wants their home to be more energy efficient, comfortable, and environmentally friendly. But did you know that you aren’t the only one motivated to get your home performing better all year round? Your local utility companies, government agencies, and manufacturers all benefit from your home efficiency upgrades, too.
In California’s Alameda, Contra Costa, and Marin Counties, there are many lesser known rebates, incentives, and financing options to help make your home upgrades as affordable as possible. If you are looking to upgrade your home heating and cooling equipment or increase your home’s energy efficiency through insulation and air sealing, the home performance experts at Hassler can pair you with lucrative rebates on the initial cost, tax incentives for additional savings, and innovative low-interest financing. So what are these “hidden perks”?
The BayREN Home+ Rebate Program
The Bay Area Energy Regional Network (BayREN) is making it easier than ever for homeowners throughout Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma to better understand their home performance, and energy saving potential through heating and cooling upgrades, including:
Duct sealing
Duct replacement
Air sealing
Attic & wall insulation
Water heater upgrades (Heat-Pump, Tank-Less, Standard Tank, High Efficiency Tank)
High efficiency heating & cooling equipment
Homeowners within these counties can receive up to $5,000 in rebates for qualifying energy efficiency upgrades installed by BayREN Participating Contractors like Hassler. Plus, if you bundle multiple projects into one you can unlock even more rebate savings. In order to qualify, you must:
Be a PG&E gas or electricity customer
Rent or own a detached home or live in a 2-4 unit building built in 2001 or earlier
Work alongside Hassler to assess your home, provide a proposal, and reserve the incentive
But you don’t have to wait to start your energy savings — BayREN is offering a free energy savings kit ($70 value) that includes LED lights, water-saving faucet aerators and showerheads, and an advanced power strip when you take their free online efficiency evaluation.
CaliforniaFIRST Financing
Thanks to the forward thinking, innovative program known as PACE financing, you can finance the cost of your home upgrades based on the value of your home and then pay it back over time on your taxes! The energy efficiency pioneers at Renew Financial are credited with creating PACE financing, which is a federally sponsored and privately run program that allows homeowners to upgrade their homes at a fixed, low-interest rate over 20 years with no money down. Here in California, this program is referred to as CaliforniaFIRST financing and applies to a wide variety of home upgrades, such as:
Insulation
Heating and cooling equipment
High efficiency windows
Wildfire protection
Renewable energy (solar and wind power)
CaliforniaFIRST financing requires a minimum of $5,000, and a maximum of up to 15% of your property value.
Federal & Local Tax Credits — $500
Through the 25C Non-Business Energy Property Credit, you can deduct 10% of the cost of your energy efficient heating and cooling equipment (ductless mini-splits) and the related installation costs on your taxes. This tax incentive has a lifetime cap of $500, and the equipment must be installed in your main residence. If you are considering solar energy to provide your energy efficient home with renewable electricity, the Federal Investment Tax Credit is still available in full force until the end of 2019, which will give you 30% of the cost of your solar installation back on your Federal taxes. You can read more about federal and local taxes here.
Save the Maximum, with Hassler!
When you partner with the home heating and cooling experts at Hassler, you can rest easy knowing you are taken care of from the initial home assessment to filing the proper paperwork. We will make sure your home efficiency upgrades are tailored to your specific needs and pair you with the right incentive, rebate, and financing option to save you the maximum on the initial cost, in addition to reducing your energy bills for years to come.
