Electrification rebates the city approved are live, incentivizing those renovating their gas-powered homes to become a bit greener.
Rebates are eligible for those who are in the midst of renovating their home and considering shifting from gas water heaters and heat pump heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units to electric units.
The program, unanimously approved by the City Council in December, is funded by a $75,000 allocation from the city to encourage residential building electrification and reach the city’s environmental goals.
The rebate program will be administered by Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), a nonprofit agency that provides clean energy to 96% of residents and businesses across parts of the local and greater community. The agency, which offers rebates of its own, is also dedicated to minimizing communities’ dependency on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases.
The program was put together by the Environmental Commission and city staff, including Tania Katbi, the sustainability analyst for the city of Los Altos.
Money from the city’s allocation is capped at $1,000 per appliance. However, residents applying for the city’s rebate will also be eligible for SVCE’s rebates – $2,000 for heat pump water heaters and $2,500 for heat pump HVAC units, per appliance. The total $3,000 and $3,500 rebates are set to be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
After reserving a rebate, residents have 120 days to submit the final request or the rebate is no longer reserved, Katbi said. Gas meter removal is not required for the rebate, and other gas appliances would not be affected if a rebate is granted.
“I’m really excited about this program and being able to lower that barrier for residents while also meeting our climate action adaptation goals,” Katbi said in a phone call. “But we do encourage residents that if they already know they want a heat pump or to install one of these appliances, to get that going as soon as possible.”
Katbi added that city staff are currently looking into other ways to incentivize electrification. City Council also provided staff guidance to explore ways to incentivize businesses to electrify.
To apply to the Los Altos rebates (along with others), visit svcleanenergy.org/home-rebates/.
