Consumers
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Consumer Guides to Lower Utility/Energy Bills
If you're like most Arkansans, the costs of heating and cooling homes, providing hot water and operating major appliances are a large portion of your monthly budget. Your energy bills are determined by how many units of electricity or natural gas you use in your home. For every unit of energy you reduce, the lower your monthly utility bills will be.
Energy costs can be reduced, without sacrificing comfort, through basic energy conservation measures, many of which cost little or nothing. Other energy-efficiency improvements may cost several hundred dollars, but they typically pay for themselves in the form of energy savings within a few years.
The following guides provide step-by-step suggestions and energy-saving tips for improving energy efficiency in your home and reducing your energy bills.
Home Series:
| | |
Saving Energy in the
Winter Heating Season | Tightening Your Home Reduces
Costs & Increases Comfort | Insulation Helps Cut Costs
In Winter & Summer |
| | |
Hot Water -
Saving Energy All Year | Appliances -
Saving Energy All Year | Saving Energy in the
Summer Cooling Season |
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Financing Energy Efficient Improvements
The Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a government-sponsored program that allows you to roll the costs of effective energy efficient improvements into your home loan. This outstanding opportunity is available when purchasing or refinancing your home. The EEM can usually be obtained with little or no out-of-pocket money, and in almost all cases, no additional qualifying is required.
The Energy Efficient Mortgage program is offered by the following government and conventional-sponsored loans: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD - FHA), Veteran's Administration (VA), Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac.
The EEM is the only government and conventional-sponsored program that provides you with an opportunity to have a cleaner, healthier, quieter, more comfortable home that uses less energy. And the good news is your upgrades can pay for themselves through substantial monthly utility savings.
Note: The EEM is sanctioned and endorsed by several government agencies, utility companies, and environmental groups.
ASK YOUR LENDER ABOUT EEMS!
More information on EEMs can be found in the following articles:
BANK OF AMERICA – GREEN MORTGAGES
Bank of America Earmarks $20 Billion to Promote Green Practices. The Bank of America Corporation has launched a $20 billion initiative to promote “green” business practices at its own facilities and by its commercial and individual customers. Of the $20 billion, $18 billion will be dedicated to helping commercial customers finance the production and use of new, environmentally-friendly products, services, and technologies. It will also make commercial real estate loans that promote sustainable designs and finance efficiency, "brownfield" redevelopment, "smart growth" development that avoids suburban sprawl and projects certified by the US Green Building Council with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. The bank will also offer "Green Mortgages,” with reduced interest rates for homes that meet the Energy Star specifications of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Bank of America will also launch the capability to trade carbon emission credits and it will match donations when homeowners use home equity credit lines for environmental donations.
(Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2007 & Environmental Finance, March 8, 2007)
ARVEST BANK – NEW BRANCH TAKES LEED
By Robert Bell — Arkansas Business
9/17/2007
Kelly Sutterfield, architectural manager for Avest Bank Group Inc., and Donny Story, president of Arvest Bank-Fayetteville, said the bank is moving toward LEED certification for its new Joyce Boulevard branch.
Though it's the largest bank chartered in Arkansas, executives at Arvest Bank of Fayetteville have decided they don't have enough green - green as in sustainable eco-friendly green.
The Walton-owned bank has always embraced the concept of building efficiently, but it will take the idea even further with its planned 8,080-SF branch on Joyce Boulevard in Fayetteville, set for completion at the end of 2008.
The extra steps are intended to bring the building to the level of "certified" according to the guidelines of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design benchmark.
It will be Arvest's first such branch.
Officials won't say whether every new branch will be green, but the bank, which has $9.33 billion in assets, is "in the process now of reviewing how we can best incorporate other sustainable strategies in our branches," said Kelly Sutterfield, head of Arvest's architectural management office and a member of the American Institute of Architects.
Final costs for the new branch won't be available until bids for the project come in later this year, but the bank's standard branches range between $750,000 and $2 million and vary in size from 1,800 SF to 8,080 SF. LEED-certified buildings generally cost somewhat more to construct than similarly sized buildings using traditional materials and techniques, but the additional cost is offset by lower operating costs and, in some cases, tax rebates
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Energy Assistance Programs - Weatherization Assistance & Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Programs
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) - Eligibility: Based on 125% of current OMB income poverty guidelines for all households for Regular Assistance. Crisis Assistance is based on 125% of current OMB income poverty guidelines for all households.
Weatherization Assistance Program - Eligibility: Income must be at or below 125% of current OMB poverty income guidelines.
Income Guidelines
These guidelines went into effect February 16, 2001.
WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE
| Size of Family Unit | Program Guidelines |
1 | $10,738 |
2 | $14,513 |
3 | $18,288 |
4 | $22,063 |
5 | $25,838 |
6 | $29,613 |
7 | $33,388 |
8 | $37,163 |
For family units with more than 8 members, add $3,775 for each additional member.
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The 2005 Energy Policy Act - The Energy Bill and You
This section is designed to give consumers and businesses information they need to make use of the federal income tax incentives for energy efficient products and technologies passed by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
As updated information regarding the Rules and Regulations and pertinent IRS forms are available, you will find them posted at this site. The links below provide good summaries along with detailed descriptions of all of the energy-efficiency provisions in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
IRS Provides Guidance on Tax Credits for Efficient Vehicles
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published a notice on January 13th that provides initial guidance on claiming a federal tax credit for the purchase of a hybrid vehicle or a vehicle with an advanced lean-burn engine. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows a tax credit of as much as $3,400 for buyers of the most fuel-efficient vehicles. The new IRS guidance describes how manufacturers can certify to the purchasers of these vehicles that the vehicles are indeed eligible for the tax credit and what size tax credit they will earn. This certification removes most of the burden from the purchaser: if you have the manufacturer's certification in hand, you can claim the tax credit. The only exception is if the IRS finds that a manufacturer's claim is incorrect, in which case the IRS will announce that the manufacturer's right to issue certifications has been withdrawn. Even in that case, certifications received before the IRS announcement will still be accepted for a tax credit.
For each manufacturer, the new tax credit stops after it sells 60,000 eligible vehicles, with the count starting at the beginning of this year. As noted by the IRS, buyers can claim the tax credit until the end of the first calendar quarter after the quarter in which the manufacturer reaches 60,000 sales. So for manufacturers that are selling high volumes of eligible vehicles, such as Toyota and Honda, people seeking to earn the credit should act quickly.
"Advanced lean-burn technology," by the way, is a clean-burning diesel engine that operates with more air than is necessary for the complete combustion of the fuel. According to the Diesel Technology Forum, the emissions requirements included in the tax credit means that eligible vehicles will probably not be available until the 2007 model year. The Energy Policy Act also provides tax credits for fuel cell vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles, and hybrid heavy trucks. The IRS will issue guidance on certification procedures for these vehicles in the near future. See the IRS press release, the IRS guidance (PDF 35 KB), and the Diesel Technology Forum fact sheet (PDF 24 KB).
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Energy in Arkansas - Understanding Costs and Utility Contacts
Understanding the Cost of Energy Resources: Rising prices for all energy resources will affect Arkansans' utility bills. Your energy costs depend on market prices, the severity of the weather, the condition of your home and heating system, and your lifestyle habits.
This section provides more information about energy resources and costs.
ENERGY USE IN ARKANSAS: Arkansas Energy Data Profile
CONTACT YOUR UTILITY: Several of Arkansas' utilities offer consumers energy saving tips. For specific information about your utility usage, billing, levelized billing or service, contact your local utility.
The Consumer Services Section of the PSC works with customers to answer questions and resolve complaints about the rates and services of regulated utilities. Staff members review all complaints for compliance with Arkansas Public Service Commission rules and approved utility tariffs and act as the consumer's liaison with the utility in resolving those complaints.
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New Construction
New home construction presents an opportunity to incorporate energy-saving features right from the start. Across Arkansas, well-informed homebuilders are demonstrating that energy-smart building choices can help homeowners save on energy bills.
Energy-smart building choices: improve energy performance, lower energy bills, and reduce construction costs and waste. This section provides more information on the Arkansas minimum energy code for new construction and resources and provides guides for improved energy performance during the building process.
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Links & Resources
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Sugerencias para ahorrar energía y dinero en el hogar
A pesar de predicciones de gastos de energía del invierno considerablemente más altos este año, los consumidores pueden usar prácticas de energía inteligentes para ahorrar considerablemente en sus cuentas de energía mensuales.
1) Conserve el gas natural por bajando el termostato por la noche y cuando una casa será vacía por dos o más horas. El cambio de la temperatura de su termostato de 72 grados a 65 grados por ocho horas por día mientras nadie está en casa, o mientras todos están en la cama, cortará su cuenta de calefacción hasta el 10 por ciento.
2) Limpie o reemplace filtros de aire cada mes durante la temporada de calefacción y puesta a punto sistemas de calefacción cada dos años.
3) Cierre los apagadores de chimenea cuando no en uso. Una chimenea es diseñada expresamente para permitir el humo para escaparse, y hasta que usted lo cierre, aire caliente también escape - 24 horas por día.
4) Use abanicos de ventilación de cocina, de baño, y otros sabiamente. En solamente una hora, estos abanicos pueden sacar todo el aire calentado de una casa. Apague abanicos tan pronto como ellos han hecho el trabajo.
5) Abra cortinas sobre sus ventanas que afrontan el sur durante el día para permitir luz del sol para calentar naturalmente su casa, y cierrelos por la noche para reducir la frialdad usted puede sentir de ventanas frías.
Para más información sobre como ahorrar dinero en su cuenta de energía, contacte: la Oficina de Energía de Arkansas en 1-800-558-2633, 682-7319 o visite la Guía del Consumidor para Bajar Cuentas de Energía.
