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Home Energy Rebates Update |
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Georgia’s Launch of Federal Home Energy Rebate Programs to Help Lower Families’ Utility Bills |
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Eligible Georgia Homeowners and Multifamily Building Owners Can Use the Federal Home Energy Rebate Programs to Save Energy, Save Money on Energy-Efficient Upgrades, and Lower Housing Costs |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that Georgia is launching its federal Home Energy Rebate programs, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act. Georgia is launching the Home Efficiency Rebates and the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates programs to bring down costs for energy efficiency improvements and clean energy upgrades.
Georgia’s launch is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s nationwide initiative to provide $8.8 billion in Federal funding for states, territories, and Tribes to lower energy costs and increase efficiency in American homes by making it more affordable to install cost-saving measures such as heat pumps, electrical panels, and insulation, which helps save money on housing costs. These energy-saving measures will save American households up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors. These investments also advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
“Big savings are coming to the Peach State. Starting today, Georgians can save up to $16,000 on energy-saving upgrades under the Home Energy Rebate programs,” said Keishaa Austin, Principal Deputy Director, Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs. “By making both rebate programs available to its residents on day one, the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority is going above and beyond for the residents it serves.”
Many Americans spend a large portion of their monthly income to heat, cool and power their homes – with some of the lowest-income families spending upwards of 30% of their income on energy bills. To advance the objectives of the rebate programs, DOE is requiring states and territories to allocate at least half of the rebates to low-income households, defined as those earning 80% or less of their area median income, which is expected to benefit many households in disadvantaged communities. States and territories must also submit Community Benefits Plans to ensure good jobs and other economic opportunities are available. To help keep consumers informed and equipped with resources, DOE recently released a Consumer Bill of Rights framework and is encouraging state, territorial and Tribal rebates programs to adopt it.
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Georgia’s Home Energy Rebate Programs
Georgia’s federal rebate programs are overseen by the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority. Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates are initially being offered through a limited contractor-driven pilot. During the pilot period, all rebates outlined below will only be available through state-approved contractors. Georgia expects the pilot to run through the first quarter of 2025.
Residents should visit Georgia’s Home Energy Rebates website to learn more and apply for the program.
Home Efficiency Rebates Program
Under this program, owners of single-family and multifamily residential buildings can save money on retrofits — typically the installation of multiple home upgrades — that meaningfully reduce household energy usage.
Rebate amounts are based on household income and the amount of energy saved. Households of all income levels are potentially eligible.
Selected upgrades would need to reduce the home’s estimated energy usage by at least 20%. (To receive the maximum rebate amount described below, they would need to reduce energy usage by at least 35%.) For single-family homes and multifamily housing units, rebates will range up to:
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$16,000 for households making less than 80% of their area median income (AMI).
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$4,000 for households making 80% or more of AMI.
Participating residents will first complete a home energy assessment provided by a licensed energy auditor to determine the home’s upgrade needs.
Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program
This program is focused on making energy-efficiency upgrades accessible to eligible low- and middle-income households.
Low- and middle-income homeowners (i.e., those earning up to 150% of AMI) as well as owners of multifamily buildings with at least 50% of residents earning below 150% of AMI are potentially eligible.
Eligible owners of single-family homes and multifamily buildings will be able to save up to $14,000 per dwelling unit, including up to:
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$8,000 for an ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump HVAC.
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$4,000 for an electrical panel.
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$2,500 for electrical wiring.
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$1,750 for an ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump water heater.
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$1,600 for insulation, air sealing, and ventilation.
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$840 for an ENERGY STAR-certified electric stove, cooktop, range, or oven.
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$840 for an ENERGY STAR-certified electric heat pump clothes dryer.
After the pilot period, in addition to using state-approved contractors, Georgians will be able to access the rebates using the following pathways:
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Retail: Approved retailers offer coupon code discounts to customers for eligible equipment purchased either in store or online. This path is available only for electric stoves, cooktops, ranges, ovens, and heat pump clothes dryers.
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Do It Yourself (DIY): A homeowner receives a rebate for an already completed eligible appliance project that they installed on their own. This path is available only for electric stoves, cooktops, ranges, ovens, and heat pump clothes dryers.
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Midstream: An approved distributor deducts the rebate amount from an approved contractor’s costs for eligible equipment, and the contractor passes the discount along to the customer. This path is available only for heat pumps and heat pump water heaters.
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More States Get Ready for Rebate Launch
Home Energy Rebates are coming online in more states to help American families save energy and save money with energy-efficient home upgrades. You can check the status of your state’s program at energy.gov/save/rebates.
For more information on what you can do to save energy and save money, visit www.energy.gov/save.
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About Home Energy Rebates
On Aug. 16, 2022, President Joseph R. Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act. The law includes nearly $400 billion to support clean energy and address climate change, including $8.8 billion in Home Energy Rebates, which provide two separate rebate programs to consumers:
The Home Efficiency Rebates provide $4.3 billion to discount the price of energy-saving retrofits in single-family and multi-family buildings. These rebates are administered by states and territories.
The Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates provide $4.5 billion for high-efficiency upgrades in homes. These rebates are administered by states, territories, and Tribes, which will receive $225 million of this amount.
For more information, sign up for our email updates and visit the Home Energy Rebates website and State Progress Dashboard.
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