Local Programs Help with Green Improvements

You probably already know that the federal government offers you tax credits for certain green home improvements. If you replace your windows with energy efficient models, or if you add solar panels to your home, or make a number of other improvements, you are eligible to get certain tax credits. This can be a great help in defraying the cost of making green home improvements. And, of course, the home equity loan you take out to help cover the costs comes with its own tax breaks.

But the federal government may not be the only place you can look for help with green home improvements. Most states also offer tax credits. So you can reduce your state tax liability as well as your federal tax liability, increasing your savings. Many state and local governments also offer grants to those who wish to make green home improvements, but don’t have enough money to do so.

Look for local programs that can augment what you are getting from the federal government. In my Idaho hometown, my parents are taking advantage of a city program that offers an interest-free loan for replacement windows. The loan is paid back over two years as the city adds the payments to the power bill each month. Not bad. My parents will get a tax credit, won’t have to worry about paying interest, and when the two years is over, my parents have savings on their energy bill. They figure that, with everything, the windows will have paid for themselves in five or six years.

This post is written as a part of Blog Action Day. Bloggers all over the world are writing about what can be done to fight global climate change.

Image source: clownfish via Flickr