Yes, The Government Actually Does Have Grant Money to Help You Renovate Your Home!

Hi Folks, I have spoken with many of you in the past about the confusing world of Tax Credits and I am planning on writing about this later. In the meantime, in researching the topic I discovered a whole realm of grants available for you to renovate your existing home.

You may think that the Government is too busy shoring up big business to offer any incentives for the American Home Owner. But, this is not true. You may be eligible for a State or Federal Grant to help you improve your current home today. DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. Established in 1995 and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, DSIRE is an ongoing project of the N.C. Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

As an example, Montgomery County, Maryland offers property tax credits on residential, owner-occupied structures equipped with solar, geothermal, and energy conservation devices. If you are in the District of Columbia, there is a similar program through Pepco Energy Services which offers appliance rebates to its residential DC customers who purchase select energy efficient products. Rebates are available on refrigerators, room a/c units, and water heaters. If you live in Virginia, the TVA Energy Right Heat Pump Plan could give you up to $12,500 for residential heat pumps with repayment through your electric bill over a 10 year period.

Maryland Link: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/homeowner.cfm?state=MD&re=1&ee=1

District of Columbia Link: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/homeowner.cfm?state=DC&re=1&ee=1

Virginia Link: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/homeowner.cfm?state=VA&re=1&ee=1

I would love to hear from any of you have had experience with these or similar programs.

As always, feel free to call me with questions, comments or suggestions for future articles.