Economic Stimulus Programs

New Hampshire’s six Community Action Agencies have been conducting a program of weatherization of low-income homes since 1974. Recent stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has significantly increased the amount of work that can be done on each unit. More information is available from the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning (OEP).

The Alliance to Save Energy has published a comprehensive article on how ARRA has extended the energy-efficiency home and vehicle tax credit program. The vehicle tax credit is phased out when the manufacturer has sold 60,000 eligible units — unfortunately most of them have done so by now — and will disappear entirely on December 31, 2010. The home improvement tax credit will also phase out on December 31, 2010.

Geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar photovoltaic cells and small wind systems are all eligible for a 30% tax credit through December 31, 2016. More Information about eligibility of renewable energy systems is available on the ENERGY STAR website.