Colorado launches rebates for electric kitchen ranges, other appliances

Colorado launched a rebate project Thursday to help income-qualified residents pay for upgraded energy-efficient equipment in their homes as part of a Biden-era initiative to address surroundings change Colorado will distribute million to fund rebates over the next sparse years as part of the Inflation Reduction Act which was passed by Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden Although President Donald Trump has moved to retract federal money from countless Biden administration programs especially in Democrat-controlled states like Colorado this funding remains intact and Colorado is one of about a dozen states that have publicized it will spend the money in the coming year mentioned Will Toor executive director of the Colorado Ability Office which will oversee the grant money We think this is going to be a really essential rebate to help a lot of people across this state make upgrades that will make their homes healthier and more at ease while reducing our emissions Toor noted A inquiry led by Stanford University s School of Sustainability revealed that the methane leaking from stoves that burn natural gas inside American homes circulated a comparable amount of carbon dioxide emissions as gasoline-powered cars on the roads The researchers estimated that natural gas stoves emit up to of the gas they use as unburned methane according to the review published in the journal Environmental Science and Mechanism Home methane leaks from gas stoves and water heaters expose people to pollutants that can cause various respiratory diseases In another Stanford examination determined cooking with a gas stove in your kitchen can emit as much benzene into a home as second-hand tobacco smoke depending on ventilation and the size of the house The rebates are part of Colorado s overall strategy to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by cutting the state s role in global warming and environment change Operation participants in Colorado can receive up to in rebates to offset the costs of electric kitchen ranges heat pumps heat-pump water heaters and the electrical wiring necessary to install those items Participants must be low- to middle-income earners based on their area media income To participate Coloradans must first submit an online application to verify their income declared Raine Queenan the strength office s senior effort manager for home electrification and appliance rebates Related Articles Colorado citizens lands deal faces unexpected scrutiny after years of planning and reason is unclear Xcel Strength seeks to delay closing coal plant while its largest generating unit remains down Colorado Rep Jeff Hurd asks U S Ability Department to order that coal plant stay open Comanche Xcel Capacity s troubled coal plant likely out of commission for months Colorado necessities nuclear vitality to address emissions cost-effectively Letters Once residents receives approval they can contact a registered contractor who will conduct a home assessment and submit a plan for approval The contractor will then subtract the approved rebate amount from the homeowner s total cost for a project and the money will be paid to the contractor Queenan mentioned So far contractors have been certified to participate The potential office has measures in place to eliminate price inflation from contractors including two routine audits throughout the application process Queenan commented And Toor disclosed consumers will notice if contractors are inflating prices because not every customer will qualify for a rebate and people will discover it if several are being quoted different prices he mentioned Consumers will notice if one contractor is jacking up their prices he noted It s a little harder to jack up prices if you re only jacking them up for specific of your customers To learn more about the rebates visit energyoffice colorado gov home-energy-rebates Get more Colorado news by signing up for our Mile High Roundup email newsletter