By making your home more energy efficient you can conserve energy, save money and help the environment. In Maryland, the Baltimore Gas & Electric Company (BGE) offers rebates to help offset part of the cost of installing a new heating and cooling system, purchasing Energy Star appliances, or installing insulation and generally making your home more energy efficient.
Heating and cooling
BGE offers Maryland residents a rebate of $175 or $350 for a central air conditioner, depending on the level of efficiency. An air source heat pump qualifies for a rebate of $200 or $400. And you can claim a rebate of $300 or $400 for a gas furnace. The system must be installed by a contractor approved by BGE. You can find links to a list of approved participating contractors and the rebate application form on the BGE website.
Energy-Smart Program
BGE participates in the national Home Performance with Energy Star program, sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. This program focuses on improving the overall energy efficiency of your whole house and offers various incentives for making energy efficiency improvements.
To take advantage of these incentives, you must first select a participating Building Performance Institute (BPI)-certified contractor who is qualified by BGE to perform an energy audit of your home. The audit takes about 2 to 3 hours, during which the contractor will do a visual inspection and perform various diagnostic tests. The contractor will ask to see the last 12 months of utility bills. There is a fee for this audit, which you should discuss with the contractor.
Based on the results of the audit, your contractor will give you a Home Energy Audit Report that shows the recommended improvements and the costs and benefits, an estimate of how much you could save on your utility bill, and how long you can expect the improvements to pay for themselves through your energy savings. You will be given a Customer Participation Incentive Application and Agreement, explaining the incentives and requirements. Your contractor has to submit a signed copy of this agreement before starting any improvement work.
Once you decide on the improvements you want to make, the contractor will give you a contract to review and sign. After the contractor completes all the work, a final test and job closeout inspection will be performed. If you are satisfied with the work, you sign the Job Completion form. The contractor presents this form to BGE. BGE will send you a Certificate of Completion and you should receive a check for the cash incentives in six to eight weeks.
Incentives
BGE customers can receive a cash incentive of 15% of the cost, up to $400, for air sealing of a central air conditioner, heat pump, electric furnace, central gas furnace or boiler. There is a $200 incentive for sealing or replacing ducts, and a $75 rebate for tuning up your heating and air conditioning unit. If you have attic or knee-wall insulation to a minimum factor of R-38 installed, you can get a rebate for 15% of the cost, up to $200. Wall insulation to a factor of R-13 qualifies for a rebate of 15% of the cost, up to $400.
If you have an Energy Star tankless gas water heater installed you qualify for a rebate of 15% of the cost, up to $150. An efficient-flow showerhead, water heater tank wrap, and pipe insulation all qualify for a rebate of 15% of the cost, up to $10. You can also claim a rebate of $0.50 per bulb for the Energy Star compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs you install.
Peak Rewards program
If you have central air conditioning or an electric heat pump, you can get money back from BGE through their Peak Rewards program. To claim this incentive, you agree to have a programmable thermostat installed in your home. When you enroll in this program, you allow BGE to cycle your air conditioning on and off from time to time during periods of peak electricity demand, typically during the summer. You can choose between 50%, 75% or 100% cycling. The higher the level of cycling, the higher the credit you can get on your electric bill. Your credit can be $50, $75, or $100 each summer you participate.
Sources: BGE Smart Energy Savers Program – Residential – BGE
Home Performance with Energy Star – Baltimore Gas & Electric Company
Maryland – Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency
