In the midst of our first big cold snap of the winter, I've been reviewing the energy rating for our home. Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC), a state agency, once again has funding for Home Energy Rebates.
To qualify for a rebate, you first have to get an energy rater to visit your home for an inspection and a blower door test. That's the tricky part. There aren't a lot of certified energy raters. I called every one of the raters last June and the best commitment I got was that I might get a call back in the fall. I didn't. But the state finally responded to the backlog and set up a system for signing up online. Lo and behold, a call came December 2. There had been a cancellation - were we available the next day for a rating?
You bet we were. Because under this program, we could qualify for up to $10,000 in rebates for making energy improvements to our home. Plus AHFC reimburses up to $325 for the initial energy rating (ours cost $450) and up to $125 for the post-improvements rating.
Turns out our house is a 3 star plus. By investing some time and money ($5500 of which will be rebated by the state), we should be able to improve it to a 4 star plus, enhancing its marketability and reducing our annual energy costs by $712 per year. Yes, it will cost more than $4000 to make the improvements. But where else do you get paid to make your home better?
Tomorrow: more on how the AHFC Energy Rebate Program works.
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