Yesterday Jon heard a PSA for the Massachusetts Energy Bucks program and he suggested that it was probably something I should talk about in my seminar and blog about it. I laughed because it’s an important program that I make sure to plug in every presentation. Unfortunately it’s a Massachusetts-only program, but it’s a great one and I expect that other states have similar ones.
Energy Bucks is Massachusetts income-eligible program for reduced heating fuel, but more importantly from my point of view, it provides income eligible people with free weatherization work and heating system upgrades. Now, most people hear “income-eligible” and probably think “I’m sure I make too much for that.” However, the income limits on this program are quite high. You can see all the brackets on their web page, but the first few levels are:
|
Household members
|
Monthly Income
|
Annual Income
|
|
1
|
$2,323
|
$27,876
|
|
2
|
$3,038
|
$36,454
|
|
3
|
$3,753
|
$45,031
|
As you can see, this is definitely something worth exploring for a lot of people.
This program is available to renters and homeowners and provides fuel subsidies, discounted utility rates and weatherization services which include free home energy audits, air sealing, insulation and window work. The beautiful part about what is available to renters is that it does not look at the landlord’s income at all, but rather focuses on the tenants income. As a tenant, if you meet the requirements, you can receive the assistance to your apartment, and if 50% or more of the tenants in a building meet the requirements, the entire building qualifies or weatherization work, regardless of the landlord’s income.
So now, if you’re a Massachusetts resident you’re probably saying “How do I get in on this deal?” You need to go through your local Community Action Program (CAP). To find the CAP for your area, go to the Energy Bucks website and plug in your zipcode. The site will then tell you who to contact for more information.
Happy Greening!
Alicia
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