Energy Adviser: Utility doubles efficiency rebates

Homeowners and landlords who’ve been holding off on plans to add insulation or replace windows in their houses might have just gotten the push they need to take action.

For a limited time, Clark Public Utilities is offering doubled rebates for insulation improvements and home window upgrades to customers with electrically heated homes.

“The incentives for those two weatherization categories doubled starting October 1,” said Clark Public Utilities Energy Services Supervisor DuWayne Dunham. “Anyone who’s been on the fence about making those upgrades should jump at this opportunity. It may be the best incentive for energy savings our customers see for a long time to come.”

Under the new incentive structure, insulation rebates have doubled to 40 cents, 50 cents and $1.20 per square foot on attic, floor and wall insulation, respectively. Window replacements also doubled to $4 per square foot for double-pane windows and $6 per square foot for triple-pane windows. Incentives for duct sealing, home envelope sealing and door replacements remain in effect, but the amounts are unchanged.

A typical household spends half its utilities budget on heating and cooling; but residents of homes built before 1990, when Washington state began ratcheting up standards in the residential building code, may spend even more. As products of their times, those properties have less insulation and more air leaks than their modern counterparts. Thus people living in older homes stand to benefit most from weatherization measures.

“Weatherization — especially adding insulation in the floors, walls and attic — can lead to significant financial savings and greater personal comfort year-round,” Dunham said. “Depending on the size of the project, the upfront cost may be a little hard to swallow, but the utility can offer loans to qualifying customers, and homeowners will immediately see lower utility bills that will continue over the home’s lifetime.”

To put the new insulation incentive into context, on an average insulation job, if the project is done with doubled incentives, customers can expect around 20 percent of the total costs to be covered, compared to 10 percent in the past. So, if an attic job costs $2,000, homeowners may now receive a roughly $400 incentive.

In order to get the incentive, homeowners much meet some qualifications. In addition to having electric heat, all the weatherization work must be performed by a contractor participating in the utility’s Contractor Network. The network isn’t an endorsement, warrantee or guarantee of any kind for any company. Rather, it’s a list of contractors the utility verifies are well-versed in the current rebates and incentive programs, maintain all necessary licenses, bonds, insurance and all necessary professional certifications, and consistently meet the utility’s high customer-service standards. When the time comes to submit incentive paperwork, the contractor will complete the forms and all the customer has to do is sign.

If your home often feels drafty during the winter or your electric bills seem too high but you’re not sure how to fix it, a Clark Public Utilities Energy Counselor may be able to help. Call them at 360-992-3355. They can tell you about all utility incentives and suggest potential cost-effective solutions that will make your home more comfortable and affordable year round.

Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.