With endless opportunities to improve your home’s energy efficiency, you might ask, “Where do I start?” Our helpful advice and guidelines offer you many ways to learn about making your home more energy efficient—from air sealing and attic insulation to your home’s heating and cooling systems. The more you know, the better conversation you’ll have with your TVA-certified energy advisor. Air sealing the envelope or shell of your home with caulk, weather stripping and other materials is a fundamental step in making your home more energy efficient. Learn how to acquire a rebate for air sealing through the eScore program. Proper attic insulation provides a continuous boundary of insulation between the conditioned space and the unconditioned space. Attic insulation helps keep the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Find out how to earn a rebate on attic insulation via eScore! Your duct system is responsible for efficiently distributing conditioned air throughout your home.

Potential savings from a high efficiency HVAC unit can be negated if conditioned air is leaking into your attic and crawlspace through gaps in your ductwork. If your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is more than 10 years old, not keeping your home comfortable or needs frequent repairs, it may be time to replace your unit. Learn more on how to earn eScore rebates on HVAC replacements. A heat pump water heater uses common refrigeration technology to make your water heater much more energy efficient. Find out more about how to earn a rebate on a heat pump water heater via eScore. Energy efficient windows, doors and skylights will lower your energy bills and help keep your home’s temperature comfortable. Discover how to earn a rebate on windows and doors through the eScore program!Plan ahead for the 2015 tax season by knowing which home improvements qualify for energy tax credits. Home improvements that fall under the Non-business Energy Property Credit and the Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit can be applied towards certain energy property expenditures to help make energy-saving retrofits more affordable for homeowners.

1. Non-business Energy Property Credit Homeowners can claim 10% of the price of eligible property (as listed below), excluding labor or installation costs. The Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit has a lifetime limit of $500 for all years after 2005, which can be broken down as follows: If you have already taken a total of nonbusiness energy property credits exceeding $500 in previous years (after 2005), you are no longer eligible to use this credit for your 2013 tax return. 2.     Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit Homeowners can claim 30% of the cost of alternative energy equipment installed in or on their homes, as listed below: The Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit, which is valid until 2016, has no dollar limit for most types of property. If your credit exceeds the tax owed, you can carry the unused portion forward to next year’s tax return. One exception to this is fuel cell property, which is limited to $500 for each one-half kilowatt of capacity of the property.

To learn more about residential energy tax credits, contact a tax professional or your local IRS office. Interested in news from our other sites? Subscribe to multiple sites here.Find a Participating Contractor Heating and cooling may account for as much as half of your home’s energy use. SMECO offers rebates up to $1,620* on equipment and services to improve the efficiency of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.cost to move hvac ductwork *Due to the popularity of SMECO’s Heating and Cooling Rebate Program, new rebate amounts went into effect as of August 15, 2016.air conditioning units for semi trucks Contact a participating HVAC contractorhow much does it cost to replace ac unit and furnace

SEER = Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating – A rating that denotes the efficiency of air conditioning equipment. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the unit and the lower the operating cost. EER = Energy Efficiency Rating – The ratio of an air conditioning unit’s cooling capacity in British Thermal Units (BTUs) per hour to the total electrical input in watts. HSPF = Heating Seasonal Performance Factor – The total heating output of a heat pump in BTUs during its normal usage period for heating, as divided by the total electrical energy input in watt-hours during the same period. COP = Coefficient of Performance – A ratio that measures the efficiency of a heat pump. The higher the number, the more efficient the heat pump. Get more information (PDF) about HVAC rebates and find tips for purchasing high-efficiency heating and cooling systems. For questions or more information about the Heating and Cooling program, please call 1-877-818-4094. This program supports EmPOWER Maryland.

HVAC contractors who wish to participate in the rebate program can download applications and other information. TEP’s Efficient Home Program offers instant rebates for upgrading your old air conditioner or heat pump with ENERGY STAR® rated units. Under the program, Tucson Electric Power offers incentives of up to $850 for replacing old, inefficient equipment with new, high-efficiency units, or repairing duct systems, keeping your home more comfortable and saving you additional money over time. The first step is to contact a TEP Efficient Home Program participating contractor to request an efficiency screening. A screening can identify unseen problems and put you on the road to an optimized home system. The contractor will screen your existing equipment and ducts, confirm rebate eligibility and recommend the proper ENERGY STAR equipment. Contractors follow the quality guidelines of the CheckMe!® Certification system, developed through more than 20 years of industry research by Proctor Engineering Group.

Computer diagnostic testing confirms that your appliance is properly installed with the correct refrigerant charge and air flow, the most typical problems identified by Proctor. The CheckMe!® Certification process offers immediate feedback so technicians can make modifications, if needed, before leaving your home. You will receive follow-up information on the initial and final status of your heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, system and the results of the tests performed. All rebates are issued as a credit on the invoice from your program-participating contractor. The available incentives are: $500 for ENERGY STAR air conditioning or heat pump quality installation. $850 for ENERGY STAR air conditioning or heat pump quality installation with the early retirement of existing systems that meet specific energy ratings. $250 or $450 for duct sealing, depending on the actual air-leakage reduction. $150 for installing multi-speed equipment, or equipment downsizing with qualifying air conditioners or heat pumps.