By making your home more energy efficient, you can save money and help the environment. In Maryland, Baltimore Gas & The Electric Company (BGE) offers developer rebates to help offset part of the cost of installing a new heating and cooling system, purchasing Energy Star appliances, or installing solar panels and generally making your home more energy efficient.
Heat and cool
BGE offers Maryland residents a discount of $175 or $350 for a central conditioner, depending on the efficiency level. An air source heat pump adds up to a $200 or $400 discount. And you can claim a discount of $300 or $400 for a gas furnace. The system must be installed by a contractor approved by BGE. You can find links to a list of approved participating contractors and download an application form on the BGE website.
Energy-Smart Program
BGE participates in the national Home Performance with Star Energy program, sponsored by the US Environmental Protection and the US. Department of Energy. This program aims to increase the overall energy efficiency of the whole house and provides various incentives to improve energy efficiency.
To take advantage of these incentives, you must first choose a participating Building Performance Institute (BPI) – a certified contractor qualified by BGE to audit the energy performance of your home. The audit takes approximately 2 to 3 hours, during which the operator will perform a visual inspection and perform various diagnostic tests. The contractor will ask to see the last 12 months of utility bills. There is a price for this audit that you should discuss with the contractor.
Based on the results of the audit, your contractor will give you a Home Energy Audit Report that recommends improvements and shows the costs and benefits, an estimate of how much you could save on your utility bill, and how long you’ll have to wait for improvements to pay off through your energy savings. An Incentive Application and Customer Participation Agreement will be given, explaining the incentives and requirements. Your contractor must submit a signed copy of this agreement before any improvement work begins.
Once you’ve decided on the improvements you want to make, the contractor will give you a contract to review and sign. After the contractor completes all the work, the final testing and inspection of the job will be completed. If you are satisfied with the work, sign the Job Completion form. The contractor submits this form to BGE. BGE will send you a Certificate of Completion and in six to eight weeks you will receive cash incentives.
Incentives
BGE customers can receive a cash incentive of 15% of the cost, up to $400, for signing up for a central air conditioner, heat pump, electric furnace, gas central furnace or boiler. The incentive is $200 for signing or replacing the ledger, and $75 is reduced for upgrading your heating and air conditioning unit. If you have an attic or knee-wall insulation installed to a minimum factor of R-38, you can reduce it. for 15% off, up to $200. An outdoor wall rated at R-13 qualifies for a 15% cost reduction, up to $400.
If you have Energy Star tankless gas water heater installed you are eligible to reduce 15% of the cost, up to $150 . Efficient flood funnel, water heater clothing tank, and pipe insulation all qualify for a 15% cost reduction, up to $10 You can also save $0.50 per bulb by installing Energy Star compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs.
Top Rewards Program
If you have central-air-conditioning”>air conditioning or an electric heat pump, you can get money from BGE through its you can get.To claim this incentive, you agree to have a programmable thermostat in your home.When you sign up for your air conditioning cycle, you can typically choose between 50%. , 75% or 100% cycling. The higher the level of cycling, the higher credit you can get on your electric bill. Your credit can be $50, $75, or $100 each summer.
Sources:
BGE Smart Energy Savers Program – Residential – BGE
Home Performance with Energy Star – Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
Maryland – Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
Report:
- Energy Savers – U.S. Department of Energy: www.energysavers.gov/
- Home Performance with POWER STAR: www.energystar.gov/ index.cfm? c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_hpwes
- Top Ten Facts to Keep Your Heating & Cool Budget Energy Efficient! – BGE: conservation.bgesmartenergy.com/residential/heating-cooling/tips< /a>
