When my husband and I decided to remodel our 1960’s era tract home five years ago, we started with an Energy Audit to see what we could do to reduce the cost of heating and cooling our home and to make it more comfortable. I had attended an energy rebate workshop in Napa put on by Deborah Elliot, Napa County’s Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) representative. The audit, performed by an approved BayREN contractor revealed that we could get rebates from the state to help pay for new insulation in our “attic” and walls and for new ductwork. Through the BayREN program, we saved over $3000, improved the comfort and air quality inside our home, and helped the climate by reducing our home’s energy needs. (Photo credit: Antonio Olmos/The Observer)
BayREN offers ten different rebates that cover home energy efficiency upgrades including installing new super-efficient electric heat pumps (for home heating and cooling) and heat pump water heaters. The heat pump rebate can be combined with an additional contractor’s rebate of $1000 that can make switching from a climate-polluting natural gas heater to a heat pump system truly affordable.
There are also income-qualified programs in our area that provide free energy upgrades to both homeowners and renters (with the landlord’s approval).
PGE offers help to low-income residents, providing free upgrades for customers living in a house, mobile home or apartment that is at least five years old. The program is administered by CHOC Energy in Vacaville and provides energy upgrades that include installing insulation, repairing or replacing the furnace or water heater, and replacing old refrigerators and washing machines. The upgrades are available for residents earning $34,840 or less for a household of 1-2 persons (income limits scale up for larger households).
Napa County’s local electricity provider, MCE, has an energy upgrade program aimed at moderate income residents (e.g. earning $34,840 to $43,920 for a household of 2 and scaling up for larger households). This program offers free upgrades for homeowners or renters in 2-4-unit buildings who don’t qualify for low-income assistance but can’t afford to make energy upgrades on their own. It is focused on home heating, cooling and water heating because this accounts for more than half of a home’s energy costs. (Photo: MCE’s solar project in American Canyon.)
Currently, buildings in the U.S. account for over 40% of our nation’s CO2 emissions. Making homes and buildings more energy efficient and switching to renewal energy sources is one of the most important ways we can reduce GHG emissions and take action on climate change.
Napa County residents can choose to buy 100% renewable energy for their homes or businesses through MCE’s Deep Green program. This program costs only $5 more per month and contributes funding to new local projects and programs. We can be proud that all of Napa County’s jurisdictions are now Deep Green for their municipal operations.
So what are you waiting for? Take advantage of one of these programs to do good for the climate and for your pocketbook in the coming year.
For additional information, visit