Currents

An Energy Newsletter for Local Governments

Teaching an Old House New Tricks

"The Performance4 Home Certification Program"

In an effort to make older pre-1978 homes more energy efficient, H & L Energy Savers, a Southern California Company has been awarded $2.2 million from the California Public Utilities Commission to facilitate a cost-effective home energy efficient program. This project is titled, "The Performance4 Home Certification Program," and will target homes built prior to 1978 for Edison customers in the following 4 designated territories; The Inland Empire, San Gabriel Valley, The High Desert and The Low Desert.

Phase 1

The Performance4 Program will offer a FREE comprehensive diagnostic home energy evaluation, performed by an independent contractor not affiliated with installation contractors. Additionally, the consumer will receive 5 free compact fluorescent light bulbs, a low-flow showerhead, and a faucet aerator. These FREE evaluations can be used by any single-family home that meets the above requirements and can also be used in conjunction with The Energy Efficient Mortgage Program, City First Time Buyer Programs, City Rehab Programs, Affordability and Community Programs, Home Equity Line of Credit, or as just an added service for residents of the four designated territories.  

Phase 2

If energy efficient improvements recommended by the evaluation are installed, substantial cash incentives that are used as immediate discounts off the cost of energy efficient improvements will be applied. These discounts can mean less money spent on the most cost-effective energy improvements helping to conserve more energy for California.

Phase 3

A Performance4 Certification is issued by a third-party, The League of California Home Owners, a non-profit consumer advocate group. Along with the P4 Certification the homeowner gets a Notice of Energy Efficient Items that is recorded through the county recorders office and may provide increased appraised value and marketability for a future sale of the home. Right in the middle of every Uniform Residential Appraisal Report is a section for Energy Efficient Items. It's hardly ever filled in, here's something that's uniformly available, but not used. People have been doing energy upgrades for years and not getting credit for them. An appraiser doesn't know how to verify energy upgrades. Thanks to the Notice of Energy Efficient Items, the appraiser can easily verify energy upgrades. Now the homeowner won't have to worry that the money spent on energy improvements will be lost like so much energy before the upgrades were made.

As part of "The Performance4 Home Certification Program", H & L Energy Savers is working with Local Cities, Community Groups, Credit Unions, Banks, Lenders, Realtors, and Local Media to help educate residents on this new beneficial program.

This program is funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission.

For more information please contact

Tammara Eutsler
H & L Energy Savers, Inc.
(877) 949-9681 Phone
http://www.performance4.com/

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