Energy Saver North Carolina, a federally funded program for improving home efficiency that launched in a few counties last January, is now open to eligible applicants in all 100 counties, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced earlier this month.
Energy Saver NC, which has $208 million of funding through 2031, provides two types of rebates to eligible households. The first offers up to $16,000 for households that install home efficiency upgrades like energy-efficient HVAC units. The second provides up to $14,000 for new energy-efficient appliances, like electric stoves. Eligibility is determined by household income and by how much energy the upgraded units or appliances can be expected to save.
Stein said the program is not only a win for the families who participate in the program, but also for the contractors who will do the work.
“[Families] get significant savings for upgrading their appliances and HVAC system, and then they save thousands of dollars on their utility bills over time,” Stein said. “By funding these upgrades, we’re keeping [contractors] working and supporting roughly 2,300 jobs.”
Furthermore, Stein noted, as more households take advantage of the program, it will reduce carbon emissions and carbon pollution, helping the environment and easing the strain on the energy grid – critical as demand for power is expected to increase with more people, businesses, and data centers coming to North Carolina.
The program has received 4,818 applications in the past year, according to Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson. Of those, 1,709 have been approved, and there’s an estimated $770,000 worth of projects in 51 households.
“Energy Saver North Carolina allows everyday people to see clean-energy technology in their homes,” said Mozine Lowe, executive director of the Center for Energy Education.
