|
 |
|
 
|
 >> Green by Texas Public Radio Main Local Green Building Rebates
Residential Rebates
Commercial Rebates
Live Green, Save Green: SAWS Irrigation Rebates
Automatic irrigation systems are incredibly convenient, saving households the time it takes to manually water their landscaping. But often times these sprinkler systems can be terribly inefficient. Over half of a household's water use is attributed to landscaping and lawn maintenance. Irrigation systems may use 2,000 gallons of water or more every time they run, adding hundreds of dollars to the water bill. Either because of age, faulty sensors or improper calibration and scheduling of your irrigation system, you may be using unnecessary amounts of water to maintain your landscaping, costing you money and needlessly depleting our water resources. In an effort to help households conserve water, SAWS is providing residences with expertise and rebates to ensure that their existing irrigation systems are operating at maximum efficiency. SAWS customers are encouraged to apply for their residential Irrigation Design Rebate program. SAWS will send a conservation consultant to your home to work with you and a liscened irrigator to determine your sprinkler systems water efficiency and identify opportunities for improvement. Residences may receive up to $400, with 25 percent of the rebate applied to your SAWS bill when you irrigation system improvements are completed and the remaining 75 percent applied to your SAWS bill after your water use is measured. Rebates amounts will vary depending on your implemented retrofit improvements and their overall conservation success. Possible irrigation improvements may include removing or capping existing irrigation zones, converting to a drip irrigation system and more. You can find full details about the Irrigation Design Rebate and fill out an application at the SAWS website. Live Green, Save Green: Energy Rebates From CPS Energy
Do you have more than one refrigerator? You may think you're putting your old fridge to good use in a garage or storeroom. However, it’s likely that old unit may be running up your electric bill. Old refrigerators and freezers use four times the energy newer models do. According to Energy Star, refrigerators manufactured in the 1980's cost an additional $100 in your annual energy bills compared to using an Energy Star-approved refrigerator; refrigerators from the 1970's cost an additional $200 annually to operate. Not only is that vintage model not energy efficient, extreme temperatures common in South Texas cause refrigerators and freezers to work harder and use more energy when they're relocated to a garage. In short, that "free" or spare refrigerator can cost you a lot of spare change. If your household is looking to reduce your energy consumption by replacing an old refrigerator or freezer, you may want to consider taking advantage of CPS Energy's refrigerator rebate program. CPS Energy is offering a $35 rebate to recycle an old, energy-guzzling refrigerator or freezer. They will also give you an additional $65 rebate for replacing the old model with an Energy Star-approved fridge, amounting to a total rebate of $100. CPS Energy will even arrange to pick-up and haul away your old model appliance. This rebate is only available for CPS Energy residential customers, limit two units per residential address. Visit CPS Energy's website for complete details and restrictions and rebate applications for their refrigerator rebate program.
Don't Let Your Energy Bill Heat Up: CPS Energy HVAC Rebates
On average, American households spend roughly $1000 annually on heating and cooling — nearly half a home's energy bill. But if you have an air conditioning unit that is over 12 years old, you can reduce those costs by 30 percent by replacing it with an Energy Star qualified model. CPS Energy offers HVAC rebates for upgrading your central air conditioning unit, window air conditioning unit or heat pump with a newer, energy-efficient model. Rebates for central air conditioning units and heat pumps are dependant on their SEER, or seasonal energy efficiency ratio. SEER is determined by taking cooling output in BTU (British thermal unit) during a typical cooling season and dividing that number by the total electric energy input in watt-hours during the same period. The higher the unit's SEER, the more energy efficient the unit. To qualify for a HVAC rebate, your new central unit must have a SEER rating of 15.0 or greater. A licensed air conditioning contractor or service technician can make that determination. CPS Energy also offers rebates for Energy Star qualified window air conditioning units. The utility provider will credit $50 to your CPS Energy account for units of 8,000 BTU or less or $100 for units greater than 8000 BTU. In addition to the CPS Energy rebates, new central air conditioning units and heat pumps may qualify for a federal tax credit. These CPS Energy rebates are only available to existing residential homes and not new construction projects. Find full details and an application about CPS Energy HVAC rebates here.
The City Lights Rebate Program For Local Businesses
The City of San Antonio has recently introduced its City Lights Program, an energy efficiency incentive program designed to help qualified business customers save energy and reduce expenses through lighting upgrades. The City Lights Program is designed for CPS Energy commercial customers in good standing on their utility account and will provide a zero interest loan for up to $3,000.00 for lighting upgrades to reduce electricity usage at an eligible customer’s location. The City of San Antonio and CPS Energy have selected EnerPath to administer the program. EnerPath will perform energy surveys for qualified customers, recommend and install lighting efficiency improvements using licensed and bonded contractors, and perform quality control of the work. The funding for this program is limited and available to qualified customers on a first-come, first-served basis. The program offers significant energy savings, enhancements to lighting quality, improvements to light equipment longevity, and provides the “bragging rights” for making an environmentally conscious energy improvement. This program is being offered in accordance with the City of San Antonio in correlation with CPS Energy’s rebate program and is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the U.S. Department of Energy. Visit the City of San Antonio's Office of Environmental Policy's website to enroll.  |
|||||||||||||
