Travel for Pennies

It’s nearly time to start working on income taxes and many home owners are looking for last minute renovations they can do to their property to qualify for various tax credits and rebates. The advantage of these rebates is two-fold. The first benefit comes in the tax credit. The second arrives in the form of lower or nonexistent energy bills that, over time, pay back the cost of the original project.

If you’re looking for programs that will provide tax credits for switching to alternative energy or installing energy efficient appliances or home features, the first place to look is online. Visit the websites for your state’s energy commission or your local utilities. Programs will vary from utility to utility, although some will be state-wide. There are even national rebates available under the National Recovery Act.

Pay careful attention to the dates involved in the various programs. The Recovery Act credits have a deadline of December 31st while the California solar rebate program lasts until 2016 and even applies retroactively to installations done in previous years. You’ll also want to make note of any requirements or exclusions as to what specific systems, installations, and appliances are covered. You want to make sure that any action you take is within the program guidelines.

If you fail to find any sort of incentive program for switching to alternative energy in your home, business, or vehicle, it’s still worth making the switch. The reduction in pollution and reliance on fossil fuels combined with the money saved on gas, electricity or other utility is worth quite a lot on its own.

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Tags: reduction in pollution