Health & Fitness
Mike Dressler on Sustainable Building, Buying, Living
$8,000 Energy Upgrade California Rebate now available in Long Beach!
Long Beach and Signal Hill residents can now take advantage of the Energy Upgrade California rebate program. Rebates for energy efficiency home improvements are now available for up to $8,000 for qualified upgrades. Up until now, most of Los Angeles County had enjoyed inclusion in the program funded by LA County and SoCal Gas, but because Long Beach has it’s own gas utility, we have been exempt. On October 12, City of Long Beach Gas and Oil announced its agreement to offer local residents the same rebates and incentives as customers of SCG.
The Energy Upgrade California rebate program currently offers a range of incentives from $2,000 to 8,000 for energy efficiency improvements in single family, owner-occupied homes. The rebate is packaged according to the percentage of improvement that the homeowner reaches when doing their upgrades.
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Improvement Level = Rebate Amount
Basic = $2,000
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10% = $2,500
15% = $3,000
20% = $4,000
25% = $5,000
30% = $6,000
35% = $7,000
40% = $8,000
The process for getting the EUC rebates involves first locating an EUC and BPI rater and contractor. Your home’s energy efficiency is then modeled by a series of diagnostic tests called a Home Energy Assessment. The energy rater will be able to show you projected energy efficiency improvement levels by the completion of various retrofits. You will then choose your “energy package”--the particular upgrades you would like performed. Once the work has been completed by your BPI- and EUC-approved contractor (often the same person doing the home energy assessment), the home will once again be tested to confirm the improvement level of efficiency. Your contractor will apply for the rebates.
There are many additional rebates and tax incentives available to homeowners that perform energy efficiency improvements or purchase ENERGY STAR-rated appliances. A great website to search for these incentives is www.Dsireusa.org, or you can contact local sustainable building professionals, such as home energy raters, green contractors, or realtors. Search for these professionals at www.builditgreen.org.