Rebates and Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency and Water Savings in the East Bay, California

This is a hub for collected links to more information on rebates and freebes from EBMUD, rebates from PG&E, tax incentives from the federal government for insulation, energy efficient windows, efficient furnaces and more, cheap loans from the City of Berkeley to install solar panels and solar hot water. It's smart to install energy saving appliances and water saving plumbing fixtures. The price of gas, electricity, and water is generally on an upward trend...and there are lots of other reasons to conserve. But these energy star appliances and high efficiency toilets are generally more expensive than more standard models. For this reason the government and public utilities offer incentives and assistance for further encouragement.

Please feel free to add other links in the comment section If I've missed any.

This program is designed to encourage people to buy a new refrigerator and not to keep the old one in the garage or basement to store extra beer, roadkill deer for the winter, frozen pizza for emergency dinners etc. PG&E specifically targets refrigerators because there have been a lot of improvements in the efficiency of this specific appliance. In addition, refrigerators are large and hard to get rid of. You need a truck and you have to pay extra at the dump to get rid of the toxic materials. Instead, PG&E will pay you and send a couple of nice men to your house to load it up and haul it away to be recycled and  disposed of responsibly.

According to the Energy Star Website, tax credits are available at 10% of the cost, up to $500, in 2011 (for existing primary residences only) for:

• 10% up to $500 for insulation, roofs, and doors.
• Windows capped at $200
• Furnace and boilers capped at $150, and all furnaces and boilers must meet 95 AFUE
• $50 for advanced main air circulating fan
• Biomass Stoves: Tax Credit Amount: $300

  Thermal efficiency rating of at least 75%

• Airsource heat pumps: $300
• Central Air conditioning: $300

• Gas, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boiler: $150

• Natural Gas, Propane or Oil Furnace: $150
  

Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes and new construction, principal residences and second homes, but not rentals) for:

1. Geothermal Heat Pumps
2. Solar Panels
3. Solar Hot Water Heaters
4. Small Wind Energy Systems
5. Fuel Cells