Save energy and money

Rebates and credits still available for some home improvement projects

 You missed out. If you didn’t improve your home’s energy efficiency last year, you not only are paying more than you should for heating and cooling but also missed out on up to $2,500 in federal tax credits. That’s not to mention the many state, appliance and utility rebates that were offered in 2010. The good news is there are still some credits and rebates available this year, including a pretty sizable rebate from Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®, a collaboration between Missouri Gas Energy, KCP&L and the Kansas City Metropolitan Energy Center.

Mike Hammer of St. Joseph has taken advantage of the program and reduced energy use in his home by more than 20 percent. In addition, for the past few months, he hasn’t paid anything on his electric bill.“I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they need insulation,” Mr. Harmer says. “It’s a no-brainer.” To take advantage of the program, you must be a customer of Missouri Gas Energy and KCP&L. When you make improvements to your home, you receive a $600 rebate from each utility. The amount is credited to your utility bill, for a total of $1,200. If you only use electricity, you would qualify for $600.“You have to do a certain amount of work with an improvement that’s at least 20 percent savings in energy,” says Sandy Garrison with Metropolitan Energy Center. They are a nonprofit organization that acts something like a liaison between the auditor and the people who do the work, Ms. Garrison says. They also keep a list of approved, certified energy auditors and contractors to make sure the job gets done right.Jody Carlson is an approved energy auditor in Buchanan County. He is a licensed engineer with Smart Energy Solutions, recipient of the 2011 Home Performance with Energy Star Century Club Award and is the one Mr. Harmer chose to audit his home.“It was really eye-opening to see all the places where I was losing energy,” Mr. Harmer says.According to the audit, the exchange rate in Mr. Harmer’s home was the equivalent to leaving a 4-by-4-foot hole on the side of the house all year long. Considering Mr. Harmer’s home was a 40-year-old ranch with new windows and heat pump system, a lofty older home would likely have even more leakage.An auditor finds the leaks using a blower test. It’s like sending a 20 mph wind through your house. Infrared cameras are then used to find all of the leaks. Typically, it takes three to five hours to check everything from the furnace to the foundation.“I’m looking at that outer shell of insulation, windows, the floor, leakage around the foundation,” Mr. Carlson says. “It’s akin to Tupperware — you’re trying to make sure that Tupperware is as air-tight as you can.”He also uses a software program developed by an engineering company to figure out the percentages of how much energy the house is losing and how much energy could be saved making various improvements. It uses very specific information, such as the exact dimensions of a window, what type of glass it has, what side of the house it’s on, and so forth. After examining a home’s energy loss, he prepares a report detailing all of the recommendations, with photos showing every problem. From that point, you have an option to do the work yourself or hire a contractor. Mr. Carlson handles all the paperwork for the rebates and comes back after the work is done to make sure your home is achieving the energy goal.“I chose to do it myself,” Mr. Harmer says, “because you can make the money go further. The biggest thing was blowing another 12 inches of insulation in my attic.”When he bought the cellulose insulation from Lowe’s, he found the store lets customers use the hopper to spray in the insulation for free. There are other types of material you can use, but cellulose is recommended because it doesn’t consolidate over time. Blowing in the insulation yourself can get a little dusty, so you need to wear a mask, but it’s definitely something a homeowner can do.“For any normal do-it-yourself person who paints their home, puts hinges on and does things around the house — they certainly can do it,” Mr. Carlson says.The cost of an audit is $400 to $500, but that is one of the qualified expenses you can submit for a rebate. You also can deduct the cost from your Missouri taxes. The insulation and installation is covered as well. And if you get it done this year, you can still get a 10-percent tax credit on your federal taxes.“This ultimately cost me nothing anyway,” Mr. Harmer says, “so anything I get back in taxes is a bonus.”More information on the Home Performance with Energy Star can be found at www.hpwes.net or by calling the Metropolitan Energy Center at (816) 285-4330. For more information on a home energy audit, call Smart Energy Solutions at 387-7279 or e-mail sesstjoe@gmail.com.Sylvia Anderson can be reached at sylvia.anderson@newspressnow.com.
Source http://www.newspressnow.com/