Changes to Energy Trust of Oregon Cash Incentives – January 2010

For those of you who have been thinking about making some energy saving improvements to your home after the holidays you may want to re-evaluate your timing depending upon your specific project.  As of January 1, 2010 a number of credits that had been approved through April 2010 will be amended resulting in a few reduced rebates as well as an increased incentive for direct-vent gas fireplaces.  If you’re thinking about making any improvements to your home you may want to prioritize based on the upcoming cash incentive changes.

Incentive changes for Oregon customers

Direct-vent gas fireplaces – increased incentive and lower requirements

Requirements for high-efficiency direct-vent gas fireplaces are changing from a minimum 80 percent AFUE specification to a tiered approach with varying incentive amounts for qualifying models, based on Fireplace Efficiency (FE) standards. A complete list of qualifying models will be posted to the trade ally and consumer-facing pages of our website by January 1, 2010:

Tier 1: Direct-vent gas fireplace with a minimum 65 percent FE—$100
Tier 2: Direct-vent gas fireplace with a 70 percent or greater FE—$150 
Home Energy Solutions and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® trade allies can still offer this service to Oregon homes primarily heated with gas from NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas.

Floor insulation – decreased incentive by $0.15 per square foot

The floor insulation incentive is decreasing from $0.45 per square foot to $0.30 per square foot. Floor insulation can be installed by a contractor or by the homeowner.

Floor insulation—$0.30 per square foot
If existing floor insulation is R-11 or less, insulate the floor to R-30 or fill cavity
Home Energy Solutions and Home Performance trade allies can still offer this service to Oregon homes heated by Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural or Cascade Natural Gas.

Gas furnace and gas water heater bonus - incentive remains the same if coupled with water heater conversion

Gas furnaces will no longer qualify for Energy Trust incentives; the $100 incentive for installing a stand-alone gas furnace expires December 31, 2009.

However, from January 1, 2010, to April 30, 2010, Oregon homeowners can receive a $100 bonus for combining the purchases of a qualifying gas furnace and a qualifying gas water heater:

Tankless gas water heater: Minimum Energy Factor (EF) of 0.80, or greater —$200
Tank gas water heater: Minimum EF of 0.67, or greater, when available—$35
Gas furnace: 90 percent or greater AFUE, primary heat source only—no Energy Trust stand-alone incentive.
Gas furnace and gas water heater bundle bonus—$100
There is no change to the gas water heater incentives, and they can still be offered as stand-alone measures even if a gas furnace is not installed.

So, if you’ve already replaced your water heater and were thinking about tackling the furnace next, you might want to initiate that project prior to December 31, 2009 to get your Energy Trust tax credit or if you were thinking about insulating your floors, that’s another project you might want to address sooner than later.

Here’s a link to the current incentive brochure for Oregon Residents.  As an Energy Trust of Oregon Trade Ally, I can help you save money and energy with the Energy Trust of Oregon, feel free to ask me how to earn cash incentives for making your home more energy efficient.

~Kori