-
Wireless Phones
Home Energy Audit Rebates
The Union Plus Home Improvement Energy Efficient Rebate Difference:
- Conduct an online or in-person professional home energy audit. Then receive a $100 or $250 rebate for energy-efficient home improvements you purchase with your Union Plus Credit Card.
- Use a union contractor for heating or air conditioning work and receive an additional $50 rebate.
- Supporting the creation of good green jobs, Union Plus will match your rebate with a donation to the Blue Green Alliance.
Union Plus Cardholders: Learn how to save money with a home energy audit, and claim your Home Energy Rebate of up to $300
Households consume one-fifth of all the energy used in the United States. If you own your own single family home, chances are you spend at least $1,500 a year on energy costs — and possibly a lot more.
Here’s how it works:
- Conduct an online or professional energy audit of your home.
- Learn where you can get the most "bang for your buck" in investing in your home's energy-efficiency
- Make qualifying purchases at any store (with your Union Plus Credit Card) based on the audit recommendations, and you'll save money on utilities while enjoying your Home Energy Rebate!
4 Steps to Redeem Your Home Energy Rebate
-
Select a Home Energy Auditor using one of the methods below.
- Hire a professional home energy inspector or auditor. To find an auditor in your area, please visit the Residential Energy Services Network Web site for a referral or check with your state’s energy department for a referral to a home energy auditor. Find a link to your state’s energy department here.
- Rather than hiring a professional, you can conduct an online energy audit at The Lawrence Berkley Laboratory. This audit will identify a similar list of improvements that a professional’s in-person home inspection might find.
NOTE: The average cost of a professional audit is between $300 - $500.
OR
-
To become eligible for your Union Plus Energy Rebate, use your Union Plus Credit Card to make home improvement purchases recommended by your energy audit totaling a minimum of $400.
- If you don’t have the Union Plus Credit Card already, learn more and apply for the card.
-
Use a union contractor for your heating or air conditioning work and receive an additional $50 grant.
-
To qualify for the rebate, union members must send in the following materials to Union Privilege, Energy Audit Rebate, 1125 15th Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005:
- Completed Home Energy Rebate Application;
- Copy of the home energy audit showing the recommendations;
- Copy of invoice or invoices showing purchases totaling $400 or more based on your audit;
- Copy of Union Plus Credit Card billing statement/s showing energy saving purchases.
If you conduct a professional home audit, you’re eligible for a Union Plus rebate of up to $250 to pay for home energy efficient improvements identified by your professional auditor.
If you do an online audit, you’re eligible for the Union Plus rebate for up to $100 for energy-efficient home improvement purchases.
Your home energy auditor or online audit will make the appropriate recommendations for you, but following are examples of possible home upgrades:
- New, programmable thermostat
- Duct sealing
- Large appliances – e.g. refrigerator, washer/dryer -- with “Energy Star” efficiency rating
- New heating or cooling units (HVAC). Find a union HVAC contractor here.
- Insulation
Home Energy
Rebate Features
A home energy audit will help you identify areas where you can increase your home’s energy-efficiency.
- Learn where your home is wasting money, and what you can do about it. You could uncover inefficiencies that could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over a two-year period.
- Then, make qualifying purchases at any store with your Union Plus Credit Card to help fix the problems, and claim your Home Energy Rebate of up to $250.
- Your home energy auditor will make the appropriate recommendations for you, but following are examples of home upgrades:
- New, programmable thermostat
- Duct sealing
- Large appliances – e.g. refrigerator, washer/dryer -- with “Energy Star” efficiency rating. Visit the Energy Star site here.
- New heating or cooling units (HVAC). Find a union HVAC contractor here.
- Insulation
Energy Efficient Tips
Increase your home’s energy efficiency using these energy-saving tips:
- Learn more about Energy Star appliances
- Read energy-saving consumer tips at the Alliance to Save Energy’s site
- Find your local or state energy office at the National Association of State Energy Official site
Some states offer grants or income tax incentives to partially offset the cost of installing solar panels for heat, hot water and electricity; contact your state’s energy efficiency office.
Member Story
Going green can lower your electricity and heating costs -- and now, with Union Plus Home Energy Grants, you'll get cash back. Karen Oplt, who is a night manager at Schucks supermarket and a proud member of UFCW Local 881, got a check for $100 when she replaced her refrigerator after doing an online audit.
"I try to be green," says Oplt, "but I live in an older house. So I thought it would be interesting to see what needed to be done to make my house a little bit more green. And the rebate sounded pretty good too!"
While Oplt's online energy audit recommneded she do some weatherizing of her windows and doors, replacing the refrigerator was the biggest item. "They say the refrigerator is the kitchen appliance that draws the most energy," says Oplt. Just a month later, she's already noticed a big difference in her electricity usage. "Sometimes when my old refrigerator kicked on, the lights would flicker," she says. "And they don't do that anymore with this new refrigerator."
Optl says the refrigerator alone will save her $120 per year on electrical bills -- so while she's saving energy she's also saving money. "The refrigerator is going to pay for itself in just a few years," says Oplt who recommends this program to her union brothers and sisters.
Eligibility
The Union Plus Home Energy Audit Rebate program is available in the Unites States and territories. It is not available in Canada and Guam.
Who is eligible?
- Union Plus Credit Cardholders
Customer Service
We realize that sometimes you may need help with a concern about using a Union Plus program. The Union Plus Member Advocacy Program, staffed by OPEIU Local 2 members, is here to help you resolve any problems. Contact us at 1-800-472-2005 (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET, weekdays) or online at UnionPlus.org/Customer.
Member Comments
Related Union Plus Programs
|
|
|
Union Leader Materials
- Leaders can order free bulk materials by calling the Union Plus Leader Line at 1-800-472-2005 or 202-293-5330 (M-F, 8:30 - 4:30 pm ET) in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
- Place an ad or article about Home Energy Audit in your union publication(s).
- Create a link to all your union’s Union Plus benefits on your union’s Web site.
- Print a handy benefits guide and customize it with your local union’s name.
- Union membership doesn't cost - it pays! Do you and your members know how much (on average) they could save annually if they used the Union Plus discounts? Calculate your savings now.
