Improving Energy Efficiency

Thursday, January 07, 2010 - By Gate Arty

The government is expected to unveil a new program in the next couple of months that if approved may reimburse homeowners for up to half the cost of making their homes more efficient.  Homeowners will get the most return for the money in simple upgrades like caulking the windows, putting insulation in the attic, and changing the light bulbs - not new windows, refrigerators or dishwashers. A complete energy retrofit - which could include caulking and insulation as well as new windows, appliances and boiler, could slice a home's energy consumption in half, according to Lane Burt, manager of building energy policy at Natural Resources Defense Council.  But getting all that work done might run into the tens of thousands of dollars. And any new federal program - which is still being drafted and is not guaranteed to become law - would cap the government reimbursements at $12,000, said Burt.  The original proposal, which called for $23 billion to be spent on energy retrofits, was estimated to create over half a million jobs, according to CleanEdison, an association of green building professionals.  Those familiar with the proposal say the final bill may set aside $10 billion for energy retrofits. Still, it's a lot more than is currently being done - while some states have reimbursement programs, there is no federal plan. The original stimulus bill contained $5 billion for low income homeowners and money to retrofit federal buildings, but nothing for middle income Americans. The new proposal has no income restriction.  But in addition to creating jobs and saving consumers money, it also lays the framework for an energy efficient economy and achieving the 80% reduction in greenhouse gases most scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

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