Crowd Packs City Hall for Saving Energy, Rebates

A public and using rebates to pay part of the cost packed the El Cerrito City Council chambers with about 100 people Tuesday night.

The meeting was designed for homeowners in local cities — including El Cerrito, Albany, Richmond and San Pablo — and held under the auspices of a relatively new state program, Energy Upgrade California. The program is a kind of one-stop shop under the aegis of the California Energy Commission for finding information about energy-saving options, contractors and financing, especially rebates.

"What we're doing here is almost like a doctor for your house," said Jeffery Liang, a representative from Energy Upgrade California.

Using a package of various rebates, homeowners in Contra Costa County could save up to about $9,500 or so on the cost of energy upgrades, depending on where they live, how much energy they save and how much work they have done on their homes.

The process outlined at the workshop consists of two main steps:

1. Obtain a home energy assessment, or audit, identifying what measures can be taken to save energy. Maria Sanders, an environmental analyst for the City of El Cerrito, said she's seen the cost of the assessment fall generally in the $250-$500 range.

2. Hire a contractor to do the work that the homeowner choses. The cost varies substantially and depends on the size of the home and the improvements to be made, which can range from basic insulation and sealing of air leaks to more involved upgrades that also include more efficient windows, furnaces and water heaters, as well as solar panels. The cost for a 1,500-square-foot home in El Cerrito could range from about $7,000 to $38,000 before rebates, and from about $3,600 to $22,375 after rebates, according to a chart displayed by one contractor at the meeting.

The rebates vary not only according to the cost of the work and the amount of energy saved but also according to where residents live. El Cerrito, for example, has a limited number of rebates up $250 for the home energy assessment. Albany offers a rebate of up $190 for the assessment and up to $400 for the upgrade.

Residents of Contra Costa County may be able to qualify for an additional rebate up to $5,000, on top of the possible rebate up to $4,000 for PG&E customers.

Information was offered also on the 3-percent CHF loan program. In addition, some homeowners may also be eligible for a federal tax credit of $500.

Several contractors assist customers in identifying and applying for the rebates, though some rebates, like El Cerrito's for up to $250 on the assessment cost, require an application directly with the city. The El Cerrito rebate application can be downloaded here. Those with questions can contact Sanders at msanders@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or 510-215-4361.

The rebate programs generally require that contractors be chosen from an approved list.

Those seeking information about rebates and approved contractors in their community can enter the name of their county in the "Get Local Information!" box on the Energy Upgrade California web site.

"Most people aren't aware of how much room room there is for improvement in their homes," said Ori Skloot of Advanced Home Energy, one of the contractors present at the meeting.

The Energy Upgrade Program has been quite popular, he said. "Overall, this program has been a wild success. All the home contractors in this room will probably tell you we're up-to-here busy."

El Cerrito resident Cheryl Lee was asked to speak about her experience adding insulation and taking other energy-saving steps that stopped the wide swings in her home temperature and helped establish a comfortable atmosphere inside. Before the upgrade, she said, her heater didn't make any difference unless it was turned on at that minute and she was positioned right next to it.

"I just got to the point where I stopped using any heat because the only difference I noticed was in my utility bill," Lee said.

The Energy Upgrade California program is currently open to single-family homeowners. In announcing the launch of the program in a March 1 news release, the California Energy Commission said multi-family units will be phased in and that the program would be expanded to commercial properties this fall.