Going Fast: Rebates And Programs to Save Money on Energy

It’s January.

It’s no fun checking your mailbox these days, because holiday bills have taken the place of holiday cards. It’s cold outside, and you’re chilly inside, keeping the thermostat down so your energy bill doesn’t shoot through the roof.

The news isn’t all dreary. You can save up to 40 percent on your PG&E bill, help the environment by conserving water and energy, and make your home more comfortable, all at the same time.

But how?

is offering an evening workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to review several programs that can save you money. The free workshop, led by energy experts, runs from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Neutra House, 183 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos.

They will review the Energy Upgrade California Program and the High Energy Home Program.

To register, visit http://losaltos-euc.eventbrite.com/.

One program, the Energy Upgrade California program, entitles you to substantial energy rebates from your utility—up to $4,000 in incentives with PG&E’s Advanced Upgrade Package. Currently, the rebates are designed for single-family homes.

For a typical California home built before the 1980—Los Altos was incorporated in 1962, in the aerospace building boom—energy efficiency wasn’t part of the equation.

“Energy was cheap, and the consequences of producing and using energy were not widely understood,” says Faye Rachford, an energy upgrade specialist with Energy Upgrade California.

“Now ... we look at the home as a system. Rachford recommends that you begin with an energy assessment, for which there are rebates. Besides, she notes (in geeky Silicon Valley) the saying ‘If you can measure it, you can manage it,' give you data with which you solve problems.

Then, there is the free HEH Program, available to residents of Los Altos Hills. The is available through Acterra at no cost to five local communities, including Los Altos Hills. HEH is a web-based software tool that can analyze your energy use in 15 minutes. It means that participants can analyze their energy use from the comfort of their own homes. 

It identifies “hidden energy users,” such as electronics that are turned off but still drawing power, pool pumps,recirculation pumps and many others. The analysis can determine if you are a good candidate for the energy-upgrade program, which focuses on heating and cooling efficiency.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the detail of information provided by the analysis," said Keith Burtscher, a general contractor. 

"It gave us additional information about what upgrade strategies would be cost-effective in a format that was easy for the homeowner to understand … it helped us decide what we’re going to do.” 

There are three qualifications for the HEH program: You’ve lived in your home for at least a year, you havenot installed solar, and you have a PG&E SmartMeter®.

Steve Schmidt, a Los Altos Hills resident and the architect of Acterra’s HEH program, will provide a program overview as part of the workshop agenda.

Margie Suozzo, chair of GreenTown Los Altos, invited residents of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills to learn more about the audits and rebates.

“GreenTown is offering $50 online audits by High Energy Audits, Inc., for the first 50 homes in Los Altos that sign up to use this tool to assess their energy use. It’s a quick way to learn if your home can benefit from the energy-upgrade program."

With some programs it is important to act swiftly, however, said Matthew Greenfield of Energy Update California. Free money doesn't last forever.

"The rebates that are available to homeowners will continue to be avaialble through the end of 2012, however, the grant funding for Energy Upgrade California runs out in March and so this will be the last informational workshop being held in Los Altos."

If you are having trouble getting online to sign up for the Wednesday night program, email Suozzo at Energy@GreenTownLosAltos.org.

Editor's note: Peg Champion wrote this article with editing and additional writing by Los Altos Patch Editor L.A. Chung

Peg Champion is a member of GreenTown Los Altos and the principal of Champion OrganicCommunications. Her work focuses on communication and education strategies to encourage sustainablebehavior. For more information visit http://www.ChampionOrganic.com.