Cash back for making energy-saving improvements to your home

A Homeowner’s Guide for Central Oregon Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs

Did you know that you may be eligible for cash rebates and incentives when making energy saving improvements to your home? That’s right–cash back in your pocket for upgrading your windows, heating system and more!  Accessing local utility rebates is a great way to help offset the cost of doing weatherization and other upgrades to your home. In some cases the rebates often cover 10% and possibly up to 20% of the cost of the improvements.  In Central Oregon we are fortunate to have a few different utility rebate programs available to us. Those who are served by Cascade Natural Gas and Pacific Power are going to be tapping into the Energy Trust of Oregon cash incentives. There are also quite a few homes that are serviced by Central Electric Cooperative (CEC).  Each utility has their own incentive structure and process for payments.

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The best place to start is getting a home energy assessment which  will help you identify and list areas of the home that need the most attention. In addition the assessment should provide a detailed quote for any of the recommended upgrades. They will also include a list of the incentives that you qualify for and are a really big help going through the incentive process.

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So let’s dive a little deeper into what you might expect back from the Energy Trust of Oregon for making energy saving upgrades to your home. Please keep in mind that these cash incentives are subject to change and not all of them are listed below. For the most recent information and to see qualifying criteria, please visit the Energy Trust of Oregon’s website.

Homes heated with Cascade Natural Gas or Pacific Power

Insulation	Windows	Heat Pumps
$0.25 per square foot: Attic/ceiling $0.30 per square foot: Floor, wall, knee wall, rim joist $0.50 per linear foot: Boiler pipe	$4 per square foot of windows installed, U-Value 0.27 or less ·$1.75 per square foot of windows installed, U-Value 0.28–0.30	Ducted: $250 – $700 Ductless: $800 per residence, for homes replacing electric resistance heat
Direct-Vent Gas Fireplace	Water Heater	Smart Thermostats
$150 – $250 for fireplaces with electronic pilot ignition. Additional $100 bonus when installed by May 31st, 2016.	$100 gas tank, 0.67 energy factor, EF, or greater, must be ENERGY STAR® qualified $300 heat pump water heater, Tier 2 or 3 $150  heat pump water heater, Tier 1 (55 gallons or less)	$50 for Nest Learning Thermostat. You must heat your home with a forced-air furnace or ducted heat pump with an electric forced air furnace.
Check here for more qualifying incentives.

 

If you are a Central Electric Coop (CEC) customer and heat your home with electricity, your incentives come from CEC. If you are a CEC customer and heat with gas, then the Energy Trust incentives above apply to you. These rebates are available for homes built before 1992 that are electrically heated.

Homes heated by CEC

Windows & Doors	Insulation	Duct Sealing & Repair
$ 3.00 per square foot of window area to replace wood, or metal, framed windows. $40.00 per pre-hung Energy Star qualified door to replace un-insulated exterior doors.	$ 0.30 per square foot of ceiling insulated. $ 0.45 per square foot of floor insulated. $ 0.50 per square foot of wall insulated.	$250.00 per heating system for duct sealing.
Air Sealing	Heat Pumps	Heat Pump Water Heaters
$ amount varies by residence for air sealing.	Ducted: $250 – $1,650 Ductless: $800 -$1,200	$300 – $500
For additional rebates please visit the Central Electric Cooperative website.