Check Your Energy Company for Free Energy Kits

When I was a child and dinosaurs roamed the earth, Detroit Edison used to give away free light bulbs in an effort to make it even easier to use their product.  Now that I'm grown and pretty old, energy companies are giving away energy saving devices--not endlessly, but one to a customer.  Your energy company may be giving away stuff, too, especially if you are willing to submit to an energy audit, or some information on how you spend your energy.

First Energy Corporation, which includes Toledo Edison, the Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison, is offering a no-(extra) cost energy kit for each of its customers that includes nine compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), a smart strip/surge protector, a furnace filter whistle, and two LED night lights.  Energy Trust of Oregon, which includes Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas, gives away kits with unspecified power-saving goodies.

My childhood power company, now DTE Energy, has a custom-made pack of free devices for you once you share your "power use style" that you can request by filling out the profile on this page.   If you are a customer of Duke Energy, you can get an energy audit on your home that would entitle you to a free kit including compact fluorescent light bulbs.  San Diego Gas and Electric has a free energy kit that is all about the water energy saving, with three faucet aerators and a low-flow showerhead.

Check with your energy company to see if they have a program for residential users.

Property Tax Breaks

When people think about "tax breaks," they are usually considering income taxes.  But have you considered your property taxes?  There may be a chance to cut down on your present or future property taxes.

One is property tax breaks for the aged or disabled.  In many states, like Ohio, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, etc., there are property tax exemptions that reduce the property tax burden on those two groups.  For more information, see the Retirement Living page on taxes for each state.  They will provide further links to each state's tax information.  In some states, elderly or disabled veterans may be eligible for tax breaks, too. Here's the rundown for various states.

Another possibility is  tax abatements on property that you are considering buying.  This usually happens when a city decides that it wants to fire up development and home ownership in some depressed area of the city, and that the best way to do this is to let property owners fix up the building, adding improvements without increasing taxes on the property, usually for some fixed time, like 10 or 15 years, or to allow commercial developers to build on it in the first place.  Some big cities where it is available include Cleveland, Toledo, and New York, but it's available in different cities all over the U.S.  This is usually limited to specific areas of the city, so check to see if the property you are considering is included.  Note that this is something that is usually possible at the time of purchase, rather than for existing property with no new improvements.  When considering a property purchase, contact the Housing Department or Development Department of the city in which you are thinking of purchasing property and see if a property tax abatement is possible.

New Money to Prevent Foreclosures

Fresh money is being pouring into the fight against foreclosure in 17 states. The Hardest Hit Fund is being strengthened in the ten states that originally got two rounds of cash—Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, North and South Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Rhode Island—and seven new states: Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. These are all areas that have experienced unemployment rates higher than the national average. In total, $3 billion will go towards helping out homeowners whose ability to pay their mortgages was hit by an event such as the loss of a job. Homeowners may be eligible for up to $50,000 in interest-free loans to cover mortgage interest and principle, mortgage insurance, hazard insurance, and taxes until they are employed once again and can resume their home payments.
Other states with unemployment higher than the national average may apply for housing funds, too. Right now, each state is responsible through their state housing agency for their own particular guidelines. If you are a resident of one of these states, contact your housing authority (links above) to see when the rollout will be for your state. For instance, Ohio’s is September 27th. Remember that while the general purpose is the same, each state will have its own rollout date AND eligibility rules. Finally, other states may apply for money, too, so if you are in a high-employment state or locality, check your housing authority or foreclosure resources in your state.

***Update: for states not covered by this, a new program has emerged in 2011.