If you are looking to install a new heating or cooling system, you may qualify for monetary incentives offered by electric utilities. These utilities offer incentives to service providers who install energy saving systems in the utility’s service area. These incentives are meant to offset the cost of taking energy efficiency measures in the home, measures that otherwise would not be taken because of the expense.
Oncor, which serves the Dallas and Richardson areas, offers a range of incentives through service providers such as Rescue Air and Plumbing. We offer utility incentives for qualifying systems up to $2,500. Both homeowners and renters can qualify, although renters need to first receive permission from the building owner. The home must have Oncor as its electric delivery provider.
For example, there are incentives to homeowners looking to install a new air conditioning unit. In order to qualify, the system must be a new matched indoor/outdoor system with an American Refrigeration Institute (ARI) energy efficiency rating of 16 SEER or higher.
SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It measures the ratio of cooling capacity to power input. The higher the rating, the more efficient the unit. In other words, the higher the rating, the more work you are getting from the unit for the same amount of money as a lower rated unit.
There are also incentives for the replacement of heat pumps. As with the air conditioning unit, the equipment needs to be a new matched indoor/outdoor system with an ARI energy efficiency rating of 16 SEER and a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) of 8.2. HSPF is used to measure the efficiency of air source heat pumps. It is a ratio of heat output during the heating season to watt-hours of electricity used.
In order to qualify, however, the system must be installed by a service provider such as Rescue Air.
Oncor also offers incentives for other energy efficiency measures, such as installing insulation to reduce heating and cooling costs, as well as caulking and weather stripping around windows to reduce heat loss.
Incentives also are provided for the purchase of ENERGY STAR® windows, refrigerators, dishwashers and clothes washers.
If you’d like to learn more about these incentives, contact Rescue Air and Plumbing at (972) 201-3253.