KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Brianna Gibbs/KMXT
Winter is usually pretty hard on a lot of Kodiak residents, especially when it comes to spending. High fuel costs and cold weather make for costly heating and electric bills, but some community members might not realize that the state has options for financial assistance. Jerrol Friend is a certified energy rater in Kodiak and said funding for the Alaska Rebate Home Energy program comes from the state legislature through Alaska Housing and Finance Corporation.
In order to qualify, a homeowner will have to have their house scanned for energy efficiency by a certified rater.
Friend said the program will then grade the house based on a star rating with a five star plus house being the most energy efficient. After that, raters will provide a homeowner with an improvement options report, basically a detailed list of improvements and how they will impact the house. For instance, a rater might suggest you put in a new boiler and will provide an estimate of how much you might save on your fuel bill by putting it in. Friend said every home is different and has different needs, so the goal is to find the best improvements that fit each home. Friend said an energy rating takes about two hours and costs around $525, depending on the home. He said the rebate program will reimburse $325 of that cost.
Once a homeowner has a prioritized list of improvements they have 18 months to complete as much of the list as they want and can be refunded up to $10,000 from the program for making those improvements. The funding is first come, first served, and there is a statewide waiting list. Friend estimates it will take about a month between when someone signs up and when an energy rater is dispatched to their home. Interested homeowners can find more information on the program and how to sign up by visiting akrebate.com.
