Saving money on energy costs has never been so easy!
 The
Get Energy Smart Retrofit Program can help local homeowners
reduce the up-front cost of installing energy efficient measures
in your home. With free Do It Yourself kits, rebates on many
energy efficient home improvements installed by qualified
professionals and loans for low-income homeowners, the program
can help you increase the value of your home, use less energy
and save money. We even give you a list of pre-qualified
Participating Contractors to choose from.
Apply for the Get Energy Smart Retrofit program today!
1.
Apply:
Complete the application by submitting the following:
-
Program Application:
Online or
hard copy
-
Report from the Florida Power and Light Home Energy
Survey:
Online or by phone (1-800-DIAL-FPL )
-
Signed copy of
Electric Utility Information Release Form
-
Please
note: The application must be completed before work is
done. Rebates are not retroactive and will not be
provided on work already completed.
2.
Act:
Once you receive notice of approval in the program, follow
the steps below according to which program component(s) you
chose:
-
 Do
It Yourself:
Pick up the free energy saving devices determined
appropriate for your home and install them yourself
according to directions.
-
Loan:
Submit loan application
and, upon approval, continue with steps below.
-
Rebates:
-
Audits:
For those
rebate categories that require an
audit (radiant roof barrier, solar attic
fan, HVAC- AC or Heat Pump), contact a
Participating Contractor that is a
certified Florida Energy Rater to conduct a
comprehensive home energy audit.
-
Complete Retrofits:
Contact
Participating Contractors to get
quotes and complete the work you have chosen to
implement in your home.
 3.
Save:
Submit the
Rebate
Request Form and required proof of
completed work for rebate(s) on energy audit and eligible
energy improvements. Once approved, you will receive a
rebate check in the mail.
Funds are available on a first come first served basis until the
funds allocated for your jurisdiction are expended. Rebates are not guaranteed or reserved for approved
applicants. Citizens are encouraged to apply and complete the
work as soon as possible to take advantage of the program
funds. All funds must be expended by the end of the grant term,
which is August 30, 2012, but they are expected to be fully
committed well before then. The
Rebate Request Form
must be
received within six (6) months of application approval to be eligible
for the rebate payment. Regular updates on program status
and funds remaining will be on the
DwellGreen.com
website.
Program Background
The Get Energy Smart Retrofit Program
is the result of
collaboration between Sarasota County and the cities of North
Port and Sarasota and Venice in their applications to the
U.S. Department
of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant
program. These jurisdictions decided to
collaborate on the community portion of the program to maximize
the impact on energy savings and jobs as well as to reduce
administrative costs.
Each participating jurisdiction has a certain amount of program
funding available for their citizens. Once that amount has been
expended, citizens in that jurisdiction are no longer eligible. The total funds available to the community are listed below.
| |
Jurisdiction |
Amount Allocated |
| |
Sarasota County
(Unincorporated Area) |
$1,511,251 |
| |
City
of Sarasota |
$100,000 |
| |
City
of North Port |
$298,815 |
| |
City of Venice |
$225,000 |
Program Benefits
The Get Energy Smart Retrofit Program can help you in making
your home more energy efficient. Home energy efficiency
improvements can help to reduce high-energy bills, improve
comfort and help to protect the environment. Improving energy
efficiency is also an important first step for homeowners
interested in remodeling and adding value to their homes.
At the community level, the
program will help create or retain jobs in the sectors of
building and renovation as well as energy-related specialties
such as energy audits. It will also reduce the collective energy
and carbon footprint of our residential sector, the largest
contributor to local greenhouse gas emissions within the built
environment. Homeowners can:
 
Save Money: With rising energy costs, energy
efficiency makes more sense than ever. By reducing the
energy required to operate your home, you will save money on
your monthly utility bill.
Reduce Your Carbon and Energy Footprint: Energy
use for the average Sarasota County household adds 10.6 tons
Carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere per year. That
is equal to the emissions created by burning over 22 barrels
of oil. By reducing the use of energy in our homes, we can
reduce our reliance on imported sources of energy and
protect our environment from the impacts of
 traditional
energy sources.
Take Advantage of Financial Incentives: In
addition to the savings that you will receive in your
monthly utility bill, home energy retrofits are also the
subject of many financial incentives from state, federal and
utility sources. The Get Energy Smart Retrofit Program aims
to maximize the dollars available by providing rebates and
loans for energy retrofits that are also the subject of
other incentive programs.
This program is an important step to help move our
community to a more sustainable and resilient economy and energy
infrastructure, with benefits in terms of cost savings, energy
independence, reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions.
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