The USA relies heavily on fossil fuel, a non-renewable source of energy. And because fossil fuel is now becoming scarce, best answer to the issue of energy consumption will be to minimize our energy consumption and look for alternative sources. This is why to minimize use of fossil fuel as energy source,  Louisiana and Missouri offers  incentives for each home audited and renovated  to increase its energy efficiency.

Louisiana

If you are living in Louisiana, the good news for you is that you may be eligible for incentives from insulating your home. The State’s State Energy Program Funding rewards households that follow the State’s insulating guidelines. Take note, however, that to enjoy the incentives the State offers, you should have your home audited by a certified energy auditor. He should have qualified for the Home Energy Rebate Option Program. The program is in line with the US Department of Energy’s move to reduce energy consumption within the country.

As of 1999, the state of Louisiana joined the Home Energy Rebate Option Program that awards residents a rebate of $2,000 – $5,000 for improving their home’s energy requirements primarily by following the recommendations indicated in their home energy audit. The program has so far been successful because reports indicate that a total of 8.7 trillion BTUs have been saved so far.

However, only homes that have received a Home Energy Rating System score of 70 are eligible for the $2000 incentive. The $3000 incentive will also be awarded only to homes that have improved their energy efficiency to at least 30% by following the recommendations provided in their home energy audits.

Owners of business buildings may also enjoy a rebate of $5000 rebate if their annual energy usage in KwH dropped off by 10%. Since this is annual, it will be based by directly comparing the results of last year’s worth of energy bills as well as the renovations done based on the results of last year’s energy auditing.

Missouri

In Missouri, residents may enjoy a personal tax deduction of about $1000 if they have their home inspected by energy auditors certified by the Department of Natural Resources and also implement the recommendations provided.

Hence, if you want to avail of the said tax deductions, make sure that the energy auditing firm you hire is certified by the state’s DNR. Certification of new auditors is required by the State to ensure quality energy auditing services, and efficient recommendations.

If you want your home audited, the only best company to hire is a firm certified by the state. Because each state has different weather conditions, each state has different certification requirements. Thus, make sure to choose a firm certified by your state to conduct energy auditing as this firms knows best how to conduct proper auditing and knows best what your house needs. If you are in the state of Louisiana and are in need of energy auditing service, visit the Star Energy Audits at 5826 Louis XVI, New Orleans, LA 70124 or call us at 504-383-3261.

Tags: increased energy efficiency, louisiana, new orleans, tax incentives

This entry was posted on Monday, December 12th, 2011 at 5:23 am and is filed under Save Energy, Tax Credits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.