Alternative Energy

Alternative Energy

Increasing Your Home’s Energy Efficiency with Government Incentives

In our current economic climate it is more important than ever to save as much money as we can; the federal government is making this a more accessible endeavour for many home owners across the nation who want to save money by using less energy while investing in their homes.

By: Rob Thomson

In our current economic climate it is more important than ever to save as much money as we can; the federal government is making this a more accessible endeavour for many home owners across the nation who want to save money by using less energy while investing in their homes. There are a variety of areas of your home that you can improve and add value that will help make your home more efficient and comfortable to live in or appealing to buyers should you choose to sell it.

Starting around the beginning of 2010, the government will be offering rebates on Energy Star appliances for home owners to help them cut back on their energy usage and cut back your home energy bills. Reportedly, around $300 million will be available for this program.

For homeowners who’re looking to make an investment in alternative energy, there are many states that offer incentives for installing items like solar panels and geothermal units in their homes. Some of these incentives cover sales tax on the items and a small amount of the system costs while in some states a much larger portion of the cost is covered. Check out your state website for more information about incentives in your area.

Energy efficient upgrades to your home can do wonders to make your home less costly to run; though most of these upgrades will take a while to pay for themselves. Inexpensive upgrades like solar water heating systems can pay for themselves relatively quickly due to their moderate cost and the fact that water heating can be such a costly endeavour when done conventionally. Geothermal heating can take longer to pay for itself because the system is more expensive to buy and install.

Not only can these upgrades make living in your home less expensive in the long run, but it can also make your home more appealing to prospective buyers. Many buyers are looking for homes that are greener than conventional homes, with less costly utilities, and with an added value. Adding alternative heating or energy collection systems can add that kind of value to your home.

To begin the process of adding alternative energy collection and generation to your home should begin with some research into what types of energy generation or collection work well in your area; not all forms of renewable energy are suited to all types of terrain or geographic areas. Look into what types of systems are covered by your state incentive programs as well, to reduce your costs as much as possible.