HOME IMPROVEMENT & CAR CARE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015
HERMISTON HERALD/EAST OREGONIAN • PAGE 3
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Free audits,
rebates, tax credits
available for local
energy customers
By SEAN HART
Staff Writer
With cold temperatures
on the horizon, now may
be the time to upgrade
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ciency, and there are even
incentives available to help
reduce the cost.
Not only does increased
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the cost to heat a home,
different projects may also
qualify for federal and
state tax credits and even
cash incentives.
Locally, customers who
heat their homes with elec-
tricity or natural gas from
Umatilla Electric Cooper-
ative, Hermiston Energy
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Cascade Natural Gas may
be eligible to receive re-
bates on a variety of differ-
ent projects.
PHOTO COURTESY UMATILLA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
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on actual energy savings
achieved. Rebates are also
Umatilla Electric
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cient water heaters, heat
Cooperative and
pumps and appliances.
Hermiston Energy
Moore said Umatilla Elec-
For Umatilla Electric tric also allows customers
and Hermiston Energy cus- WRFKRRVH¿QDQFLQJLQVWHDG
tomers who use electricity of a rebate, but Hermiston
IRU KHDW (QHUJ\ (I¿FLHQ- Energy only offers rebates.
cy Program Coordinator
For more information
.DWK\0RRUHVDLGWKH¿UVW and energy-saving tips,
step is to schedule a free visit umatillaelectric.com/
energy audit. Umatilla programs/conservation.
Electric coordinates the
audits for both agencies, Pacific Power electric and
she said, and appointments Cascade Natural Gas
can be scheduled, usually
Customers who heat
within a few days, by call-
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ing 541-564-4378.
“When the representa- Power electricity or natural
tive gets to the home, he gas are eligible for incen-
would identify all the doors tives through Energy Trust
and windows and their lo- of Oregon.
Eastern Oregon Out-
cation,” she said. “Then he
does several different tests reach Manager Susan
GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH FRQ¿JX- Badger-Jones said the or-
ganization does not offer
ration of the home.”
Moore said someone free on-site energy audits,
must be available at the but customers can quickly
home to provide access to complete a free home en-
the attic and any crawl- ergy review online at en-
space areas. The tests usu- ergytrust.org/residential.
ally take a couple hours, Customers can, however,
she said, but vary based on pay to receive a compre-
what tests are necessary. A hensive home performance
duct system test may not DVVHVVPHQWIURPDFHUWL¿HG
be required on a two-story professional.
home if the ducts are in-
Energy Trust offers a
side the conditioned space, variety of rebates on insu-
she said, but a larger home ODWLRQ ZLQGRZV JDV ¿UH-
may require more time to places and heaters, heat
check more windows and pumps, water heaters, so-
doors during the standard lar panels, appliances and
blower door test.
more. The organization
“It’s a piece of equip- will also send customers
ment he sets up and puts a free energy-saving kits for
big fan in frame in a door their homes.
and then blows air out,”
Badger-Jones said the
she said of the test. “Then utility companies Energy
he walks through and iden- Trust works with have ef-
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LQ¿OWUDWLQJ RU OHDNLQJ LQWR programs help meet.
the home. This helps iden-
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tify what folks could do to for people to do the many
better seal up their home.” things they need to do but
Some of the improve- using less electricity or
ments are simple, such as natural gas to do them, it
weather stripping around a
door or caulking around a
window. Others are more
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customers can solicit bids
from a list of approved
technicians who can com-
plete the upgrades.
Rebates are available
for insulation and win-
dow upgrades through the
weatherization program,
and the amount is based
means that their infrastruc-
ture can go further, yet they
can continue to accom-
modate the additional de-
mand of growth,” she said.
“People save two ways.
If I add insulation to low-
er my heating bill, I have
saved money, but I’ve also
helped other people save
money because that (ener-
gy company) infrastructure
lasts longer, so it’s kind of
a win-win.”
For more information,
call 1-866-368-7878 or
visit energytrust.org.
State and federal tax
incentives
In addition to energy bill
savings and rebates, many
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qualify for tax credits.
According to the Or-
egon Department of En-
ergy’s 2015 Residential
Energy Tax Credit Rates,
credits are available for
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water heaters, furnaces,
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duct sealing, geothermal
systems, whole house ven-
tilation systems, stoves,
solar and wind power sys-
tems and more.
Federal tax credits are
also available for geother-
mal heat pumps, small
wind turbines, solar ener-
gy systems and fuel cells,
according to ENERGY
STAR.
For more information
about state tax credits,
contact the Oregon Depart-
ment of Energy at 1-800-
221-8035 or visit oregon.
gov/energy/cons.
For more information
about federal tax credits,
contact the Internal Reve-
nue Service at 1-800-829-
1040 or visit energystar.
gov/about/federal_tax_
credits.
PHOTO COURTESY UMATILLA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
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RECYCLE
Carpet &
Upholstery
Cleaning
Scotchguarding
& Deodorizing
Janitorial,
Windows & Tile
541-289-1441
www.hermistoncleaningservices.com
Insured & Bonded
1. Hermiston: 220 W. Harper Rd.
2. Stanfield: W. Wood (by Grange Hall)
3. Echo: Across from park (at City Hall)
4. Umatilla: Hwy. 730 (next to Columbia Harvest Foods)
5. Umatilla Co: Hwy 395 N. (next to Transfer Station)
6. Irrigon: 198 W. Columbia Lane
7. Boardman: S.E. Front Street
SANITARY DISPOSAL
Hermiston/McNary Highway, Hermiston • 567-8842
We encourage all area residents to take
their glass, bottles, jars, tin, aluminum,
newspapers, magazines and cardboard
to these depots for recycling.
PENDLETON
850 SOUTHGATE RD.
(541) 276-0102