Delaware wants YOU to have a more energy efficient home

Energize Delaware is a terrific program for Delaware homeowners that will help defray a large portion of the costs for energy improvements to your home.

Why Does The State Care About My Energy Usage?

We all benefit when  you the homeowner use energy more efficiently.  The State also knows that updating things like your HVAC system or home water heater, for example, can be major expenses, but with assistance from rebates of up to $7,825, low interest loans and other incentives, the State can help homeowners upgrade their systems, saving both energy and money spent monthly on home energy costs.

How Do I Get Started?

Step One: Home Energy Audit

There are a couple of steps to this process, starting with a Home Energy Audit through what’s called a Home Performance Audit with Energy Star. This audit costs $400, but  Energize Delaware will pay $300 of it, leaving you with a net cost of only $100.

This audit is to help identify any issues up front that might be effecting your energy usage, like the level of insulation, how air tight your home is, and the like. Before the State will help defray costs for energy efficient upgrades, like a new HVAC system for your house, they want to make sure you have all the insulation you need, to maximize the efficiency of any new systems installed, and that you, the consumer, maximize the benefit and see the best possible drop in your energy costs. About 30% of all homes in the State already meet energy-efficiency standards and can qualify for rebates just for having the home energy audit performed!

Step 2: Suggested Improvements

Once the audit is completed, you will get a report of any suggested improvements that can be made to maximize the efficiency of your home. You can choose to accept some, all or none of these suggestions- but the program will help to pay for 50% of the costs of implementing these improvements.

The improvements may include:

• Air sealing of the home
• Duct sealing
• Attic Insulation improvements
• Knee wall and crawl space insulation
• New Heating and Cooling Equipment
• Ductless mini-spilts for hard to heat/cool areas
• Improving the efficiency of your hot water heater, with either a heat pump water heater or tankless system

The Details

Up to $7,825 in rebates are available for all homeowners who complete an energy audit within a year of submitting a rebate reservation through your local contractor. To be eligible for rebates for your HVAC system, the energy audit must be completed by an approved auditor/contractor, plus you must meet minimum insulation and air sealing requirements.

• Rebates are capped at 50% of the total installed cost up to the incentive level indicated; whichever is lower.
• The program excludes geothermal heat pumps. Visit dnrec.delaware.gov for more information on available geothermal heat pump rebates through Delaware’s Green Energy Program
• If you have multiple systems in your home, such as two heat pump systems to create heating and cooling zones, EACH system is eligible for the HVAC rebate, making it a great time to think about adding an additional heating or cooling zone for those hard-to-heat areas like bonus rooms over a garage or enclosed porch/sunrooms.
• In addition, there is a $500 Federal Energy Tax credit available, bringing even more savings to the table
• Assisted Home Performance rebates are available at a higher level based upon household income
• Burns & McBride can help provide financing through Wells Fargo, to help make these improvements even more affordable.

Energy Efficiency Can Be Financially Efficient Too!

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your HVAC equipment, or replacing that old water heater, there’s now even better reasons to take the plunge. By starting with a home energy audit, you’ll be sure that your home is as energy-efficient as possible. By replacing older, more costly to operate equipment with newer, more efficient systems, you will be saving money each and every month on your energy costs while helping the environment at the same time.  Even better, the incentives in place from Energize Delaware along with the expertise of Burns & McBride will ensure you get the best equipment installed while maximize the rebates available- stretching your upgrade dollars to the max!

The rebates to defray up to 50% of the costs for upgrading your energy systems is limited, so don’t delay and give us a call today!

We know that this program works for Delaware homeowners. Over the past few years, we have worked with a number of homeowners just like you to receive nearly $500,000 in rebates. Our experience with the system allows you to make the best possible use of the program.