Posted by Bradley Chazin on Fri, May 07, 2010
The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act (H.R. 5019) passed the House by a vote of 246 to 161
The U.S. House on Thursday passed bipartisan, job-creating legislation that will help three million American families replace their old drafty windows with new high energy efficient Replacement Windows, renovate and insulate their homes, while putting 170,000 Americans to work.
What is Home Star?
Home Star is a two-year program designed to spur home energy retrofits by providing direct incentives to homeowners to install American-made, energy-saving Replacement Windows and conduct whole-home retrofits. The legislation will help three million families save an estimated $200-$500 a year on their utility bills, saving homeowners close to ten billion dollars in the next decade.
The Home Star Silver Program
The Home Star Silver Star program will provide up-front rebates for the installation of specific energy-saving technologies, including insulation, duct sealing, MN Replacement Windows and doors, air sealing, and water heaters. MN Homeowners will be able to receive up to $3,000 in rebates under Silver Star.
The Home Star Gold Program
The Home Star Gold Star program rewards Minnesota Homeowners who conduct a comprehensive energy audit and implement a full complement of measures to reduce energy use throughout the home. Consumers will receive $3,000, or half the cost, for measures that reduce energy use by 20 percent, and can receive up to $8,000 when additional energy savings are achieved.
How Do I Pay For My MN Replacement Windows?
Home Star also creates an innovative financing program to be sure that energy efficiency investments continue after the program's conclusion.
What Happens Next With Home Star?
The Senate version of the Home Star bill will need to get out of committee and on to the Senate floor for a vote. Right now the Senate is occupied with other legislation so I don't know when they will get this bill going.
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Posted by Bradley Chazin on Mon, Mar 15, 2010
What Is The Homestar Plan?
If the government passes Homestar into law, it will mean rebates will be available for Replacement Windows and doors. The Homestar Plan is also known as Cash for Caulkers. President Obama is trying to create jobs by encouraging American families to invest in energy saving home improvements like replacement windows and doors.
How Much Money Is In The Homestar Plan?
Earlier this month the plan was said to carry a $6 billion dollar price tag. The Homestar Plan includes Silver Star rebates up to $1,500 for doing home improvements such as Replacement Windows and doors or a maximum of $3,000 per home for a combination of energy saving home improvements.
Is there Financing for Home Improvements Under The Homestar Plan?
The White House plan calls for support to State governments to provide financing for consumers looking to make energy efficient home improvements like Replacement Windows.
How Does The Homestar Plan Create Jobs?
President Obama in his speech when announcing the Homestar Plan said, "here's one of the best things about energy efficiency", "It turns out that energy-efficient windows or insulation, those things are products that are almost exclusively manufactured right here in the United States of America".
How Will We Pay For The Homestar Plan?
President Obama went on to say when discussing the cost of the Homestar Program, "just like a responsible homeowner will invest in their homes in the near term to fortify their economic security in the long term, we've got to do the same as a country. It will have some costs on the front end-you buy a new boiler, or you get some insulation, or you get some new windows, that's going to have an initial cost, and the same is true from a government perspective. And it’s going to be politically difficult to do some of this, but it’s what’s right to plan for our future."
The Homestar Plan Bottom Line
The Homestar Plan will help put Americans back to work and will help American families save money on their monthly energy bill.