SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 8, 2010— Paying for home improvements that increase energy efficiency just got easier for Utah residents. A new program, Utah Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, will pay cash rebates to Utah homeowners to help offset the cost of retrofits that save energy and money year in and year out.

Jason Berry, Manager of the Utah State Energy Program, who oversees Utah Home Performance, anticipates high demand for the program – which covers up to 50% or 80% of the energy‐efficient home improvements. “We expect to perform nearly 2800 comprehensive, Home Performance assessments
across the state,” Berry predicted, referring to the first step toward receiving the
rebates.

“Having a Home Performance assessment is a great opportunity for Utah residents to find out how they can make their homes more comfortable and healthier for their families. These assessments let homeowners know what improvements will provide the greatest savings.”

The program estimates more than 750 homeowners will make the recommended
energy efficient retrofits, reducing their household’s energy use by 20% or greater. The first step to receiving rebates is having a Home Performance assessment, conducted by an analyst certified by the Building Performance Institute (BPI). The comprehensive assessment utilizes diagnostic testing to analyze the energy performance of your home, takes about 3‐4 hours, and costs $100. Homeowners receive a customized report of the recommended energy saving measures and can apply for rebates from Utah Home
Performance to cover 50% or 80% of the total job cost, after utility rebates, provided the work has been performed by a participating contractor.
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Utah Home Performance is helping to make energy efficient retrofits more affordable for Utahns across a variety of income levels. These home improvements not only help to make your home more comfortable, and save you money, but they may help to actually increase your home’s value. The benefits gained by reducing our state energy use are good for everyone by saving dollars and helping to preserve our energy resources for future generations.” Berry continued, “With the variety of rebates and credits available, there has never been a better time to make energy efficient retrofits to your home.”

On top of the funds available through Utah Home Performance, residents may receive federal tax credits as well as rebates through their local utilities. Interested homeowners should visit www.utahhomeperformance.com or call 877‐298‐4675 for information on the program and related rebates.

Utah Home Performance is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by the Utah State Energy Program.

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