"To Do" Tuesday-Rebates and Incentives

I spent some time this afternoon attending a webinar to understand(or at least start my education on) the ROI(return on investment) of green purchasing practices. WOW, is all I can say. There are so many acronyms and steps to this..man it will be a lot to learn, but I plan to do so... if I learn anything interesting along the way, I will share.

So for today's post, I am focusing locally on Austin, Texas. If you are fortunate to live within the city limits, as part of the Power Saver™ program, there are residential rebates for certain products or improvements to your home. There are even rebates for commercial buildings/businesses. If the home is over 10 years old, and you replace an old air conditioner(with a 14 seer/11.4 EER or greater unit), do duct repair and sealing, add insulation to attic, or add radiant barrier/reflective materials,you can apply for a rebate that will cover up to 20% or $1575 of the total. Other items such as solar screens, window film or low-e glass replacements(most new windows are low-e standard) are covered, as well as little things like caulking, additional weather stripping are listed.
For the purchase of solar photovoltaic(or solar panels/energy systems) or solar water heaters, there are rebates also.

There are also programs to help those with lower to moderate incomes that may find it more difficult to afford these updates. These are via Austin Energy and they will provide materials and installation for things like attic insulation, duct repairs/sealing, caulking around plumbing penetrations, weather stripping and solar screens. There are qualifications to be met, but spread the word, these are things that can help  a great deal.

Remember three "R"s reduce, reuse and recycle. :)