Get your insulation and hot water rebates now

Get your insulation and solar hot water rebates!

A new program from Federal Government will help homeowners improve the insulation and hot water energy consumption through a couple of different rebate and assistance programs.

In the Energy Efficient Homes Packages, the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage, and the Arts hopes to boost insulation in the ceilings of 2.9 homes by offering a Homeowner Insulation Program rebate of $1,600 for owner-occupiers. This program is specifically targeted at homes with completely uninsulated ceilings, or those with R-value insulation of 0.5 or less. Better insulation may just save you $200 every year in heating and cooling costs.

Additionally, those living in rental properties can receive assistance of up to $1,000 for installing ceiling insulation in their rental home through the Low Emissions Assistance Plan for Renters. Again, this program is for ceiling without insulation or those with R-values of 0.5 or less. It can be obtained by either a tenant or a landlord, although the tenant must receive permission from the landlord to make this improvement before proceeding. Landlords can even access this assistance for multiple rental properties within Australia or its territories.

Both of these programs take effect on July 1, 2009 and will run until the end of 2011. However, if you’re anxious to get going on your insulation project before winter sets in, you can take advantage of the early installation offer from the Australian government.

Another option for improving your home’s energy efficiency is the Energy Efficient Homes Solar Hot Water Rebate. It also offers homeowners the opportunity to receive $1,600 to assist with a solar hot water system installation. Since heating water is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions for most homes in Australia, this has serious potential to help with our climate emissions. These systems can save average homes between $300 and $700 annually!

You can also take small actions to reduce your water heating energy consumption. At Grass Roots Eco-Store, we carry water saving items like shower timers and faucet aerators which help you cut down on the amount of hot water you use on a daily basis.

Unfortunately, you can’t access both the insulation assistance and the solar hot water rebate for the same home. Nevertheless, choosing just one of these home improvements could greatly reduce your home’s energy consumption and save you a lot of cash over the life of your residence.