Upgrade Your Home
Fight global warming and save money by upgrading your home.
Taking a whole-house approach to saving energy ensures that you will see real financial benefits from your investments in energy efficiency while fighting global warming.
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Incentives & Services
45% of a home's heat loss comes from inadequate insulation. Increase your home's efficiency by installing R-30 attic insulation and R-13 wall insulation. You'll save up to $17 monthly (or up to 25%) on your winter heating costs.
Do a Home Energy Audit
Many local utilities and companies throughout California offer free energy audit assistance, which can be conducted online, by mail or at your home. These energy audits reveal the areas of your home that use the most energy and then provide personalized, cost-effective solutions to reduce your home energy use.
Financing
Smart financing means you can start saving energy right away with no additional monthly cost.
Lendors
Home Equity Loans
Generally, you can deduct the interest from this loan from your taxes. There are two types of home equity loans.
- Fixed-Rate Loans: Fixed-rate loans provide a single, lump-sum payment to the borrower, repaid over a set period of time at a fixed interest rate. The payment and interest rate remain the same over the lifetime of the loan.
- Home-Equity Line of Credit: A home-equity line of credit (HELOC) is a variable-rate loan that works a lot like a credit card and sometimes comes with one. Borrowers are pre-approved for a spending limit and can withdraw money when they need it via a credit card or special check. Monthly payments vary based on the amount of money borrowed and the current interest rate. Like fixed-rate loans, the HELOC has a set term. When the end of the term is reached, the outstanding loan amount must be repaid in full.
Resources
Advice For Renters
Talk to your landlord about upgrading your home to a more energy-efficient one. You can agree to an increase in rent equivalent to the amount that you save each month on your energy bill, which will allow your landlord to pay off the upgrade quickly while increasing the comfort level and value of the property. There are several third-party financiers that can help your landlord finance such an upgrade and some will even finance solar and wind.