The Utah State Energy Program is administering over $2.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) rebate funds for the Cash for Appliances Utah Program. Qualified products include clothes washers, room air conditioners, gas furnaces, gas storage water heaters and gas tankless water heaters. The program aims to replace over 19,000 inefficient appliances with energy-efficient models and save customers over $469,000 in energy costs. The projected CO2 savings from this program is the equivalent of taking 657 cars off the road or planting over 88,000 trees. Rebates are available beginning May 12, 2010 and are offered for qualified products on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out. Rebates may be combined with existing utility, retailer or manufacturer rebates. Layering rebates is encouraged to maximize your savings.

Cash for Appliances Utah Details
•Cash for Appliances Utah is an appliance replacement program. Consumers must replace an existing appliance to qualify for Cash for Appliances Utah rebates.
•Purchase on or after May 12, 2010
•Available rebates:
•$75 rebate on clothes washers with a modified energy factor (MEF) of 2.0 or greater and a water factor (WF) of 6.0 or less
•$30 rebate on ENERGY STAR® qualified room air conditioners
•$300 rebate on ENERGY STAR® qualified gas furnaces with an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of at least 90%
•$300 on ENERGY STAR® qualified gas tankless water heaters with an energy factor (EF) of at least.82
•$50 on gas storage water heaters with an energy factor (EF) of at least .67
•Recycling your old appliances is encouraged
•Rebates are in addition to available utility, retailer and/or manufacturer rebates
•Rebates are available only while funds last

Go to Cash for Appliances Utah for Rebate Form, list of Qualified Products and FAQs.

Chris Bird, speaker, author and tax expert, reviews the energy tax credits in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Credits apply to improvements to a principal residence and range from a $1500 maximum credit for improvements such as insuation, doors and windows and roofs (2009-2010 only) to 30% credit of cost for major improvements (through 2016). For more information, go to www.energystar.gov for requirements and charts.

The Utah State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP) will launch on Wednesday May 12, 2010. A summary of included products, ENERGY STAR efficiency levels and rebate amounts is as follows:

Only purchases made after the start of the program will be eligible for a rebate. Consumers will be required to certify the rebated appliance will replace an appliance being taken out of service. Applications forms will be available at the point of sale and from a dedicated web site that is under development. Consumers can use the ENERGY STAR website to search for products by efficiency rating at this website.

Energy-inefficient homes and appliances

Ten years ago, shopping for home upgrades involved looking at a product’s functionality and aesthetic. Now, there’s another component: energy efficiency.

Today, the products most touted by manufacturers and retailers are those that are Energy Star certified and those that meet new federal environmental standards — most of which have higher price tags than their counterparts but help to lower heating and cooling bills.

The government is offering a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 on energy-efficient home upgrades through Dec. 31, 2016. But many are set to expire by Dec. 31, 2010; these include eligible insulation, roofs and windows and doors.

Save money and help the environment with our Energy Credit™ mortgage.

If you are an environmentally conscious consumer trying to do your part to help, Bank of America wants to help you by saving money on your mortgage.

When you build a home or purchase a newly constructed home that is ENERGY STAR® qualified¹, Bank of America will give you a credit of up to $1,000 toward the closing fees on your mortgage².  So, not only will you save with energy-efficient improvements that deliver better performance, greater comfort and lower utility bills, you’ll also save on closing costs. (more…)

Contributed by Eric Miller, New Leaf America

New Leaf America is dedicated to helping homeowners and small businesses to evaluate and implement cost effective energy saving retrofitting options. The process starts with a home evaluation. Once completed, a retrofitting plan is presented to the home or business owner. These recommendations focus on the most affordable, high return on investment, (ROI) energy efficient retrofitting options and include a true “common sense” approach to taking the first steps toward energy saving retrofitting for a home or business.

These first retrofitting steps (before going solar) focus mainly on exterior and interior lighting through the use of state of the art lighting products, water saving devices, slaying power vampires, and weatherization.

The local contact for New Leaf America is long time Park City resident Eric Miller, a LEED Accredited Professional.  Eric Miller can be reached at (435) 640-3934 or email Eric

Contributed by Jason Dittmer, DwellTek
It is important to state at the outset of this article that I am not a real estate agent, appraiser, or mortgage broker.  I am a residential home inspector and a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) energy rater. I have, however, owned a home and had the good fortune to recently sell it.  Because of my profession, and recent real estate transaction, I have had the opportunity to talk with many people in the industry and have examined this current market from both sides of the “For Sale” sign, and I believe the solution to all of our problems is the HERS energy rating………. Well, not really, but I think it can help and here is why.

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Green and Sustainable materials are starting to become more and more popular these days.  All the talk seems to be about such items as bamboo flooring, recycled glass tile, formaldehyde free cabinetry, water permeable paving, insulated concrete forms (ICF), and many other earth conscious materials.  These and similar items are important to a more green or sustainable project, but method or approach to this project is just as important.  This “Green Method” starts from the beginning, or the planning stage, and by this I mean the design and drawing for your project.

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Contributed By Dennis Gray, P.E.
Programs such as ENERGY STAR, Built-Green, and LEED for Homes all require a third-party verification of energy systems and green building performance. This verification is done by an Energy Rater who is a licensed professional working under the auspices of the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET).
For a new home being designed, an Energy Rater may perform what is called a “Projected Rating” from a home’s drawings and specifications.

(more…)