The Charleston, South Carolina area is a great place to live or have a vacation home. The weather is great, the beaches are fantastic, golf courses are abundant, there are many historical sites, the architecture is unbelievable, the dining is unbeatable, and the people are the friendliest in the country. It is because of these reasons that I believe Charleston SC Real Estate is truly unique. I look forward to helping you with any of your real estate needs in Charleston, Berkeley, or Dorchester counties. Today’s article is titled:
The Facts about Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010
The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act of 2010 (H.R. 5019) passed the House of Representatives Thursday with bi-partisan support, on a vote of 246 – 161.
Home Star is a two year program ($6 Billion funded total) from the federal government designed to encourage homeowners to retrofit their homes for energy efficiency, to create good American jobs in the construction and manufacturing industry, and to reduce our country’s dependency on foreign energy sources.
Homeowners are incentivized to conduct whole-home energy retrofits (Home Star Gold) or install individual American-made, energy-saving products (Home Star Silver).
Home Star Gold: If a homeowner makes their home 20% more energy efficiency, they receive $3,000. For each additional 5% of energy reduction reached, the homeowner is eligible for an additional $1,000 up to a total of $8,000 or 50% of the cost of the retrofit – whichever is lower.
Home Star Silver: Provides upfront rebates for specific energy-saving investments such as attic or wall insulation, duct sealing, whole-home air sealing, or heating system replacement. Homeowners receive up to $1,500 per improvement – capped at a total of $3,000 or 50 percent of the total project cost.
More Detailed Information about Home Star: http://www.homestarretrofit.com/2010/04/what-does-homestar-mean-for-you/
What’s a Homeowner to Do?
Home energy efficiency, while it may be a great investment, is complicated stuff! EnergySavvy (www.energysavvy.com) is a website for homeowners that makes it easy. The online energy assessment on the site helps you understand how efficient your home already is, which energy efficiency contractors are the best ones to work with to upgrade it, and which tax credits and rebates (including Home Star, when it passes) are available to pay for upgrades.
Press Quotes
"We applaud the U.S. House on the [bipartisan] passage of the HOME STAR legislation. HOME STAR will create good American jobs in construction, manufacturing and related industries. It will help American homeowners improve the efficiency of their homes and save money. And it will provide a solid foundation for our country's energy policy and energy security. We encourage the Senate to act quickly to get the HOME STAR bill to the President's desk and get our workers back on the job." – Efficiency First Chairman, Mike Rogers
“Making your home more energy-efficient is one of the fastest payback upgrades you can do to your home. You pay less to the utility every month, your house is warmer and more comfortable, and with all the energy rebates and tax credits available right now, there’s never been a smarter time to do it. The problem is that it’s been complicated to figure it out. What projects are the best for my house? Who can help me? And how do I get the most money from the government to pay for this stuff?” – EnergySavvy.com CEO, Aaron Goldfeder
As always, your thoughts, questions, or comments are greatly appreciated. Let me know if I can help with any of your Charleston SC real estate needs or questions.
To look for Charleston SC Real Estate homes anywhere in the tri-county area go to my website at http://www.charlestonscrealestateforsale.com/mls/
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Sincerely,
"Carolina Joe" Idleman
http://www.charlestonscrealestateforsale.com
