Many homeowners unaware of rebates of up to $4,000 available for energy-efficiency upgrades

Feb 25 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Wendy Leung Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Calif.

Homeowners who make energy efficient upgrades can earn up to $4,000 in rebate through the Energy Upgrade California program funded by state utilities customers and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Representatives from the California Center for Sustainable Energy led a workshop at the Frontier Project on Thursday to inform homeowners of the steps needed to get the incentives.

Jeanne Fricot of California Center for Sustainable Energy said more homeowners and local agencies are understanding the importance of energy efficiency as a money-saving and environmentally friendly measure.

"We're accomplishing it one house at a time," Fricot said.

But despite the increasing interest in sustainability, many homeowners are unaware of the Energy Upgrade rebates that have been available since January 2011.

To qualify, homeowners should visit the Energy Upgrade website to learn more about the program and to pick a contractor for a home performance assessment.

The test will find air leakage, insulation defects, heating and cooling duct leakage and other problems.

Paul Chenelia, a contractor for the Riverside-based REEis, compares the test to regular maintenance motorists perform on their cars.

"I think the rebates are great but the testing is what you should really do," Chenelia said.

A typical home assessment, depending on the home and contractor, costs about $600.

Fricot said some homeowners will make costly improvements such as replacing windows when they could have made less costly improvements determined by a test.

Once the test is complete, the contractor will outline an upgrade package which may include attic insulation, duct sealing and other improvements. The rebates, from $1,000 to $4,000, is determined by the percentage of increase in the home's efficiency.

Chenelia said a homeowner making energy-efficient improvements totaling $2,500 to $3,500 for a typical 2,000-square-foot home will likely receive $1,000 in rebate.

The next workshop in the Inland Empire will take place Tuesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Corona City Hall, 400 S. Vicentia Ave.

Information: 858-244-1177, energycenter.org.