When to Look for
Financial Incentives

Nobody minds a little extra spending cash. If you know what to look for, you can often take advantage of financial incentives for living in a high-performance home. Below we list incentives you should explore at a variety of stages:

Building/Buying a New Home

Before you build a new home, check out the following sources for incentives. Many energy-efficiency upgrades may be too good to pass up. If you are buying a pre-existing home, compare each prospective home against the criteria for these incentives. It could impact your final decision.

Homeowners Insurance

When shopping around for homeowners' insurance, find out from each agent or representative what discounts they offer. You could be safer and a bit wealthier. Be sure to ask about these common premium discounts:

Refinancing

If you are considering refinancing your home, investigate energy-efficient mortgages. Most require the borrower to get an energy rating on their existing or new home. A rating typically involves an inspection by a professional energy rater who is certified under a nationally or state accredited home energy rating system (HERS). The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) provides a database of Certified Home Energy Raters by state.

Home Improvement

Are you thinking about remodeling your bathroom, or ditching your old clunker refrigerator or other appliances? While doing home improvements, you should consider how the following incentives might be relevant for your project.

Want to learn about financial incentives in your state? Start here.

Content updated on 2/27/2007