Stimulus is headed to homeowners
By Wayne National Forest
Sometimes it’s difficult to believe anyone is suffering financially given the tsunami of grant/aid/stimulus money flowing at state, federal and local levels.
Case in point: the craftily-named “Cash for Caulkers” program proposed by President Obama. Like its automotive “cash for clunkers” cousin, the caulkers program would provide help and incentives for homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient.
So far it’s just at the proposed-legislation initiative. But if it’s got residents and remodelers in your area licking their chops, scope around for existing programs that can benefit dwellers and prospective home-sellers alike.
For example, check out “energy efficient mortgages” offered by the Veterans Administration and Fannie Mae. They let borrowers roll the prospective cost of energy-efficient improvements into the home loan without increasing the down payment and other underwriting requirements.
The U.S. Department of Energy offers a link to existing state programs that help businesses and consumers reduce their energy consumption. These incentives include things like tax credits and rebates your audience may not already be aware of.
Your state treasury, energy and natural resources departments also should be go-to sources for program information, and don’t forget to check with builders’ groups about construction rebates and other plans.
As mentioned earlier, your local gas and electric utilities, for example, likely offer a free or low-cost energy audit. Many also offer online energy analyzer tools – I recently did one and it told me how much I could save by switching off computers at night or swathing my hot-water heater in an insulated cover. Just for completing the study, a $25 start-up kit is winging its way to my mailbox; not sure what freebies it contains but looking forward to finding out.
The energy companies also typically offer rebates to those who purchase energy efficient appliances, free or low-cost haul-away of obsolete energy-suckers and inexpensive but efficient light bulbs.
Whether you write this as a consumer finance piece or a feature on the money spent region wide on green efforts, it’s got all the makings of a picturesque and timely centerpiece.
Looking ahead:
Here are a few reminders and resources for next week; after a bit of a break we’ll be dealing with inflation numbers and more housing data – a good time to tackle food-price stories and residential real estate, if you haven’t done so recently.
Dec. 15:
Producer Price Index
Here’s a previous post on “Why wholesale prices matter.”
Dec. 16:
Building permits, housing starts
This post on why “Housing stories are hard to resist” offers tips for organizing a seasonal home-sales piece.
Consumer price index
Another tipsheet on deflation explains why it’s “Inflation’s evil twin.”
Dec. 17:
Initial jobless claims
Leading indicators
