New energy rebated helps Columbus County residents lower utility bills
WHITEVILLE, NC (WWAY) — Some Columbus County residents can utilize a new opportunity to save money and lower their utility bills.
The Energy Saver North Carolina program is designed to make it more affordable for low to moderate income households to install energy and cost saving measures.
Energy Saver NC includes two programs; Homeowners Managing Efficiency Savings (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR).
With HOMES, eligible households can receive up to $16,000 for home efficiency improvements such as air-sealing or energy-efficient HVAC units. The HEAR program covers up to $14,000 for high-efficiency electrical appliances like heat pump water heaters or electric stoves.
Rebate amounts depend on household income and projects’ modeled energy savings.
Single-family homeowners making less than 80% of their area median income (AMI) may be eligible for full rebates. Rebates at lower amounts will be available for moderate-income homeowners earning between 80% and 150% of their AMI.
Four-person households in Columbus County earning up to $61,100 could be eligible for a full rebate. Single-family homeowners and tenants, with their owners’ permission, may apply.
Once income eligibility is confirmed, households that selected the HOMES program will need to schedule a free home energy assessment for assessors to provide a list of qualified energy efficiency improvements.
After reviewing quotes, households will approve the projects and their prices with the rebate applied. Contractors will then submit the project to the Energy Saver NC program for approval. Once approved, the contractor will complete the work.
Households can apply online, by email, phone or mail.
North Carolina is the first state to full launch both rebated programs at the same time and the 12th nationwide to implement a rebate program. The program is currently in 39 counties across the state, and they plan to open to more in the future.
