Since mid-2010, more than $3.5 million in incentive dollars have gone to Illinois electric cooperative members making home energy efficiency upgrades through a series of HomE (pronounced “home E”) rebate incentives. The HomE incentives will continue in early 2015, with about $400,000 available to cooperative members. Funding is available for geothermal heat pumps, qualifying air source heat pumps, insulation and weatherization, and heat pump water heaters.
Thousands of electric co-op members have taken advantage of the HomE incentives in recent years to help cover some of the costs of efficiency improvements.
For more information, contact your local cooperative office and ask for a HomE 3.0 energy adviser. A co-op representative can explain the program in greater detail, answer questions and provide you with sound energy efficiency advice. “This kind of help is absolutely free and cooperative members should take advantage of it,” notes John Freitag, VP of Operations at the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives, who heads the efficiency program. Details can be found at each cooperative’s website and local co-op newsletters.
He warns that the incentives probably won’t last long – just a handful of months. The target is to utilize the funding completely by May 31.
“If you’ve been thinking about a major energy efficiency improvement, like installing geothermal or adding insulation, this is the time to act,” Freitag says. “In addition to HomE funds, there are likely other incentives like tax credits and rebates that are also available.”
