The SMUD Home Performance Program has just announced a significant increase in rebate levels! The basic Prescriptive Level that consists of air sealing, insulation and duct sealing went from $1,000 to $1,500. For the advanced Performance Level the following increases are now in effect: Improvement Level Old Rebate New Rebate 20% $2,000 [...]
Archive for category Utility Programs
After kind of a slow start last fall, the SMUD Home performance program part of the Energy Upgrade California program has been going in full swing for a few months now. I thought it would be interesting to share some results of the program by profiling a recent project I completed in Fair Oaks. In [...]
Last Friday I attended the contractor kickoff meeting for SMUD’s Home Performance Program. Promoted as a soft launch, between now and September SMUD staff will verify eligibility requirements of participating contractors and gear up for a media campaign involving print, online, television and radio advertisements. Here are the basics of how the program will work: [...]
In the last few months we have heard a lot of discussion on upcoming home performance incentive programs that will be offering great opportunities for homeowners to increase the comfort and efficiency of their homes. Whether it’s PACE , utility programs or the Home Star legislation, interested consumers and members of my industry have been [...]
Placer County’s popular mPower Placer financing program has hit a roadblock as a result of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s May 5th letters to companies that sell and service their loans. The letters contained instructions that prohibited brokers from closing any loan that gave another entity priority lien status over a Fannie or Freddie mortgage. The [...]
Prop 16 – Is SMUD At Risk?
May 21
The simple answer to that question is yes. In addition SMUD customers are also at risk. In the Sacramento area few would dispute we are fortunate to have SMUD as our electricity provider. SMUD has been rated #1 in customer service among both publicly and investor owned utility providers in California by J.D. Power and [...]
The last post in this series discussed the benefits of a comprehensive energy audit as a starting point for any serious energy improvements. Not only will the information gathered assist in putting together an effective game plan, it will be required for most incentive programs including SMUD‘s Home Performance Program and Home Star. The [...]
Earlier this year the Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power which is a municipal utility, proposed a rate increase of 5.7% in the form of a “carbon surcharge” to help meet LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s ambitious goal of 20% clean power by the end of 2010. A proposal unpopular with consumer groups, the rate hike was rejected by the [...]
You’ve heard the ads on radio or seen them on TV. Supporters urging you to vote yes on Proposition 16 The Taxpayers Right To Vote Act. As supporters of the measure state in the California Official Voter Guide, the measure will require a 2/3 voter approval before local governments could “spend public money or incur public debt” to [...]
