More government money is on the way for energy efficiency but, as always, folks need to be smart about it. According to an article titled “How to Get Ready for Cash for Caulkers” written by Lori Bongiorno, details for the U.S. government's Cash for Caulkers program aren't available yet, but it's not too early to start thinking about how to cash in on the proposed stimulus program.
Homeowners need to educate themselves to take advantage of the program. But some homeowners won’t have the time or energy to figure out what kind of changes they’ll need to make when the money becomes available. That’s where CleanEdison training comes in handy--YOU can be the one to help these homeowners. Why? Because after your training you’ll know what changes they’ll need to make. (To sign up for a CleanEdison course go here: http://www.cleanedison.com/?
Cash for Caulkers is always being compared to Cash for Clunkers. One thing that may happen with Caulkers, as it did with Clunkers is this--there’
So experts recommend that homeowners figure out the changes they want to do so that they’re not the ones left in line when the program runs out of money. Fair enough. However, the devil is always in the details. Details of the Caulkers program, and perhaps more importantly, the details of one's home energy situation.
Bongiorno says that while the details are still being hammered out, there are potentially two ways to have the government help with the costs of making homes more energy efficient: 1) Have an accredited buildings professional come in to conduct an energy audit to determine where energy efficiency improvements can be made, help you decide on a plan of action, and then execute that plan. The expectation is that homeowners could get back 50 percent of what they spend up to a maximum rebate of $12,000; 2) Buy an energy-efficient furnace, windows, or other component. There are federal rebates already available and several states also offer rebates for purchasing energy-efficient appliances and more. (Of course that accredited buildings professional could be YOU or someone already trained by CleanEdison.)
But remember this, many homeowners don’t really know how to make changes themselves, and even if they do, they don’t know which order to make home improvements in.
Accredited trained professionals, trained by CleanEdison, know the ins-and-outs of sealing leaks, how to tighten your building's shell so the air you pay to warm or cool doesn't leak out before you buy a new furnace.
Learning how to do energy audits right now will get you work! It’s as simple as that. People want to take advantage of the Caulkers program and need trained pros to help the save money.
Moreover, energy audits are much more than just replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs or efficient halogens. Those things are just starting points.
“Experts say that you'll most likely need to hire a professional contractor to get the most financial support from the government,”
