Save $$ on Your Heating Bills This Winter!

Here at Cool Houses Austin, we recently enrolled in an Eco-Broker course taught in Austin and are so excited to share some of the information with our readers.  Did you know that  you can install some of these home improvements rather easily,  save money on your utility bills and get reimbursed from your local utility company to boot?  For example,  you can cut 60-70% of the heat coming in your windows by simply installing solar screens on those west facing windows? And in our long, hot Texas summers, that could amount to a significant savings.  You ask but what about this winter?  Well, something as simple as sealing and caulking all those little cracks around windows, doors, and your ductwork can give you huge savings for both summer and winter!   And even better, you can get up to $1575 in rebates from Austin Energy for doing the improvements on their list!  A short excerpt follows from their site at www.austinenergy.com

A Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® Rebate covers up to 20% of the cost of certain improvements—up to $1575.

(Austin Energy) offer rebates on these improvements:

• Air conditioner or heat pump (14 SEER/11.5 EER or greater)
• Duct repair and sealing
• Additional attic insulation
• Solar screens, window film, and Low-E glass
• Caulking and weather stripping
• Attic radiant barrier/reflective material

Bonus:  Extra 20% rebate for air conditioner and heat pump

 And don’t forget when you get ready to market your home, these improvements can certainly make yours stand out from all the others on the market.  And if you are buying a home, these energy saving features are  definitely criteria you would want to add to your list of must-haves!  So give us a call at Cool Houses Austin, we would love to share information  about how you can save money and ”green” up your home at the same time!

Article by Vicki E. Phillips