Free Refrigerators for Low Income Toledoans

If you are looking for energy cutting deals, the place to start is your local energy provider. They often do free or low cost energy audits, and may get you started with low cost energy saving bulbs or weatherproofing strips, for instance.

 

In Toledo, NeighborWorks, a local nonprofit providing help in housing and weatherization, is teaming up with First Energy to provide free Energy Star refrigerators to low income Toledo residents with energy sucking fridges. If you meet the income limits, they will test your refrigerator. If it uses three or more kilowatts over two hours, you can get a new refrigerator.

 

Those income levels are 200% of the poverty level--about $23,000 for a household of one,  $48,500 for a family of four. This is a limited offer. For more information, call NeighborWorks at 419 6912900.

 

New Refrigerators for People With Old Energy Suckers in Detrot and Some Other Places

Thanks to Julie's List we find this gem: the nonprofit CLEARcorp in Detroit is making it possible for DTE electrical customers within the income guidelines who have pre-2001 fridges to get new energy-efficient Frigidaire refrigerators.  See the website for details and an application. And how do you know if your fridge is that old? See the website appliance411.com to learn how to find the age of your refrigerator. Also available for a short time in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Users of Puget Sound Energy may qualify for a free fridge or a free washer, if their current appliances are old enough. See their website for details. Pacify Gas and Electric make a brief mention on their website, bit I can't determine if this program is currently available thought them for their customers. These programs may be in place, and then fade when the sponsor runs out of grant money or appliances.

The best way to find out what's available in your area is through these liheap program snapshots in your state. It can help you identify likely sources of he to contact.

Energy Incentive Programs: Information Dump

Last month, I was asked to speak before a Toledo Rotary Club group, and the topic I chose was energy-saving incentive programs.  Ask stated a million times on this blog, to find out how to get or save cash, simply figure out what the government wants people to do.  And they want us to save energy in a big way.  So here's the handout I gave the Rotarians:

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiencies -- www.dsireusa.org. A nationwide listing of state and local energy reduction incentives.

Home Weatherization -- http://www.nhstoledo.org/weatherization-services/ Tune-up, repair and insulation for homeowners within 200% of poverty level in Lucas County.  Community action agencies administer this throughout the state.

Ecolink.  Ohio State Treasurer’s Office -- http://ohiotreasurer.gov/ecolink.  A linked deposit program that can lower a homeowner’s cost of borrowing for energy improvements by 3%.

ReEnergize Ohio-- http://ohiotreasurer.gov/ReEnergizeOhio. A linked deposit program that can reduce a business owner’s cost of borrowing for energy improvements by 3%.

Energy Loan Fund.  Ohio Development Services Agency -- http://development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_energyloanfund.htm.  An Ohio state fund for lower-cost energy loans for business.  Must create energy savings of at least 15%, in Ohio-based businesses of less than 150 employees.

First Energy’s Residential Rebates -- https://www.firstenergycorp.com/content/customer/save_energy/save_energy_ohio.html.  Rebates available for turning in older, less energy efficient appliances from First Energy of Ohio.

Nationwide List of Energy Rebates -- http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator.

Rural Energy for America Program -- http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_Reap.html. Grants and loans for the development of biomass and renewable energy projects in rural areas.

Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency -- http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index.

Better Building Program:

For businesses -- http://www.toledoportauthority.org/Programs/BetterBuildingsNWO.aspx.

For homeowners -- https://www.columbiagasohio.com/residential/save-energy-money!/home-performance-solutions. 

Notice that many of these--but not all--are local and state.  Also, many are for business.  They include (mostly) plans for cheaper loans, or tax incentives, rather than outright giveaways, and some have been mentioned before in other entries on energy efficiency.  

But there are some worth pointing out--the Rural Energy for America Program, which gives grants and loans for biomass and renewable energy programs across rural America, and the nationwide list of energy rebates. There's also www.dsireusa.org, which has state and federal tax incentives.  Not all of them have been phased out by the feds, and some can still be cashed in on.  For nationwide information and local partners to the Better Buildings Initative, see more here.

 

Financial Help to Make Your House or Business More Energy Efficient

The U.S. Department of Energy has a program available in several states and cities called the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program.  It has the goal of improving the energy efficiency of over 100,000 homes, and has partners such as power companies and community development agencies across the U.S. to bring energy efficiency to home and business owners in various ways: by performing free or low-cost energy assessments in building, offering rebates for more energy-efficient improvements and appliances, and low-cost loans to purchase more efficient equipment.

However, while the seed funding came through the DOE, the money went through competitive grants to local groups with the most competitive plans, so it's not available all over the country.  To find out if it's available in your area, check this directory of Better Buildings local programs.  You will find each program with different partners, and different ways to help home and business owners improve the energy efficiency of their buildings.  In Toledo and northwest Ohio, the main partner is the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.  They work with business owners to assess buildings and offer low-cost loans for improvements.  For homeowners, they partner with Columbia Gas who does energy assessments and has information on rebates and other incentives.  Better Buildings as partnerships in 31 states and the Virgin Islands.

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.

A New Source of Funding for Energy Development and Rural Energy Efficiency

A late comment on the USDA's involvement in rural housing development programs prompted me to look again at stuff the Rural Development Agency does--and it drew my eye to their energy development and conservation funding programs.  I've done other blog entries about energy programs from DOE and state development and energy programs, but realized the I overlooked the obvious driver in government funding--who has an interest in getting something accomplished?  The USDA has an obvious interest in: 1) helping rural businesses and farms with money saving 2) helping develop and nurture biomass energy sources (which farmers can grow and sell).  I should have thought of it sooner.

The main place to look is the main energy page at the USDA Rural Development Office.  It has links to the Biorefinery Assistance Program, which provides government guarantees on loans to finance the building and expansion of renewable bioenergy plants.  This won't necessarily make the loan cheaper, but make the bank more inclined to create the loan, because they know they won't get burned. 

The Repowering Assistance Program was created to finance projects that replacement of fossil fuels with biomass fuels that are NOT made with cornstarch (which is already been done).  The Advanced Biofuel Payment Program gives payments to producers that create fuels from"... renewable biomass crops such as cellulose, sugar and starch (other than ethanol derived from corn kernel starch), hemicelluloses, lignin, waste materials, biogas, butanol, diesel-equivalent fuel, sugarcane, and nonfood crops such as poplar trees or switchgrass." 

Finally, there's the Rural Energy for America Program.  It provides grants and loans to rural small businesses and farms to install renewable energy systems, energy saving systems, energy audits and feasibility studies. 

Filing For Your 2010 Energy Credits? Energy Star Explains it All

For people in the dark about how much they can get in energy saving tax credits for the 2010 tax, year, Energy Star's website is way ahead of you.  They explain, on a couple of different tabs, both your available credits for 2011 (hint: they cut them back.  Unlike tax breaks for the wealthy, which apparently are sacred.).  There is also a tab to tell you how to file for your 2010 credits--how much you get, what forms to use, and what documentation like receipts and manufacturer's statements, if necessary.  It's worth checking out.

New Financial Help for Energy Efficiency

Lots of people take advantage of tax breaks that you can get for making your home or business more energy efficient.  But sometimes you need help getting money on the front end.  A new furnace or insulation can be hard to finance.  For many low-income people, there are free programs to make your home more energy efficient (HWAP, available through many community action agencies in the U.S.).  But for the rest of us, it means a loan--and a great, big debt.

But now there are programs to make that debt a lot smaller.  Some states are offering low-cost loans to finance a new energy efficient furnace.  One of these is Michigan.  The Michigan Public Service Commission started a program called Michigan Saves that makes loans available at a fixed annual percentage rate of no higher than 7%.  The length of the loans can run from 12 to 120 months. 

But how do you find these deals in other states?  DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) has a state-by-state list of financial incentives for energy efficiency.  Check your state and see which ones are available to you.  These include tax incentives for companies and individuals, rebates, grants, loans, and others.  The squares, which can be clicked to take you to the individual program, are colored to let you know where the incentive came from--the feds, state, local government, or utility company. 

The list has its problems, however.  For one thing, the Michigan incentive in the previous paragraph is not listed at all, which makes you wonder how often it's updated.  Sometimes, you click a box and it's empty.  The best thing to do is check with the utility company in your area, and ask them what programs they may be running, then try to identify the state department that deals with energy efficiency by clicking your state on this map.  Check the websites of the agencies listed, and contact that agency to get your up-to-date information straight from them.

Not Till March

The new energy conservation appliance rebate program will commence in Ohio in March.

State Appliance Rebates are Showing Up. Just Hold Your Horses...

The "Cash-for-Appliance Clunkers" is making its debut, little by little. The reason is that the program is not administered by the federal government, but by state governments, who had to submit their plans to the federal Department of Energy for approval. But, one by one, those plans are being approved and implemented. The Consumer Reports blog has some good q and a information about what is covered, and what isn't. Furthermore, there is a link to a federal site that answers more questions (such as types of appliances covered), which in turn has another link to a state-by-state rundown of how much a state will receive, the approximate date of rollout, and numbers to call for more information.

For Ohioans, the expected rollout date is February 2010, and no phone number is listed yet. But there is a state Department of Development website with more information.

Can Recovery Money Help Me?

Where is the economic recovery money going? Much of it is going to education and public works, but some of it may be headed towards you, if you know where to look. In Toledo, some block grants have been turned into programs to buy and develop foreclosed property and fix the exteriors of homes. Also, new money has come to improve the energy efficiency of homes for low and moderate income people.

How can you find that money where you live? Get in touch with your city’s housing or development department and see if they have gotten new housing funds, what programs they may have. Remember, that these funds are a one-shot deal with limited resources, so that once the money runs out, the program is over. Also, not all communities have spent their funds on the same types of programs. Many of the nation’s community action agencies (of which there are over 1000 in the U.S.), have gotten funds for heating and energy efficiency home fixups. Find the one in your area, and see if you qualify. Job retraining money has gone to workforce training centers around the United States. Locate the one near you and see if there are retraining programs you can use. These are the levels of government that actually have and distribute programs and services.

Don't Wait--Get an Appliance Rebate Now

Everyone is awaiting the appliance version of the cash-for-clunkers rebate program wthat is due to start soon. The trouble is, it's a plan that is funded, but not administered by the feds. It's administered by the states, and so we will have to wait patiently for our states to get their act together and come up with some ground rules before it takes place.

But there's something you can take advantage of right now. Energy Star's partners sometimes offer rebates, sales tax exemptions or credits on products like furnaces, air conditioners, office equipment, etc. And there's a way to check and see if it's happening near you. Go to the rebate locator website, enter your zip code, and check the boxes next to energy-saving appliances. It will tell you if a rebate or other deal is happening in your area. For instance, I found out that if I were in the market, KitchenAid is having a deal for those who purchase at least 2 of their Energy Star products, (dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, $100 on a prepaid card, more if you are busying more products.). While this is only a deal for people buying more than 1 product, it might still be worthwhile. Check it out if you are in the appliance market.

Save Money When You Borrow for Energy Improvements

The Ohio Department of Treasury has given Buckeyes another way to save money by making their homes more energy efficient. When you borrow money to buy Energy Star appliances, or make energy-saving home improvements like windows and weatherization, you can get a discount on your loan through the Eco-Link program.

Eco-Link is a plan where the homeowner borrows the money they need for the appliances or home improvement from a qualifying bank that takes deposits from the Treasury Department. Then, the homeowner applies for an Eco-Loan. The types of improvements that are eligible for the loan are listed here. Then, the state places a deposit in the bank, and the homeowner gets a discount on their loan of 3% on the loan.

An online brochure gives more details, or call 1-800-228-1102 for more information.

Gold Mines for Geeks

It pays to be smart. Just this week, I ran up against all sorts of opportunities for smart people to get money to study and do research. It seems that the American Chemical Society has a whole Grants and Awards page devoted to scholarships, research grants, fellowships, internships, and international study offered by the organization. There are awards by various divisions (like agricultural, petroleum, nuclear, chemical toxicology, and more), national and regional, and grad and undergrad. Even a grant to help high school teachers of chemistry.

A hot field in inventions and federal incentives is alternate energy. The federal Department of Energy has a whole page devoted to money and incentives for clean and alternative energy inventors. However, it feels a bit old--nothing new has been added for awhile. Maybe it can be checked in the future, but meanwhile, check out the Recovery Act Energy page for newer funding information.

More Incentives for Energy Efficiency

Besides the previous posting on new tax incentives for energy efficiency, DSIRE (Databse of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency) has a site with state incentives for businesses and individuals.

A Dollar Short and a Day Late, I Am

Once again, I manage to miss all the bitchin' tax breaks for making my home more energy efficient. Here's a rundown of some new federal breaks for both homeowners and commercial building owners. Drat me for energy efficiencizing (?) so early!


Also, a new tax break for first time (having not owned a home for the last 3 years) home buyers who purchase their home before December 1, 2009--they can claim a credit on their 2008 OR 2009 returns. They don't have to pay it back if they use it as their continuous residence for 36 months, and can claim 10% of the purchase price (up to $8,000). Income restricts apply, as the credit fades out at higher income levels.