Black Hills Energy Efficiency Rebates will be reduced or eliminated in 2019

Home and business owners should know that changes are coming to energy efficiency programs across Iowa. Anyone thinking about upgrading their insulation, heating or cooling systems should act now before rebates lower, or disappear.

Black Hills Energy has filed plans for their 2019 energy efficiency programs, and the proposed programs completely remove rebates for some measures, like building insulation and high-efficiency boilers. Other proposed rebate amounts for equipment like furnaces and air conditioners are dramatically lowered.

In addition to the changes in rebates, proposed cuts to the energy efficiency programs will also eliminate other programs such as: in-person energy assessments for homes and small businesses, new construction rebate programs, and cuts in support of the fund's tree planting programs. The cuts to the programs come in response to a new Iowa law that limits the amount of funding dedicated to the state's investor-owned utility energy efficiency funds. Overall program spending will likely be cut by half or more.

The largest and most dramatic cuts will be made to rebates and programs designed to help use natural gas more efficiently. In-home Energy Audits for residential customers will be replaced with an online "do-it-yourself" energy assessment. Small business energy assessments are proposed to be eliminated altogether. Furnace and water heater rebate amounts will drop and insulation, air sealing and boiler rebates will be eliminated in the proposed 2019 plan.

Here's what the changes mean for Black Hills Energy Customers in northeast Iowa:

Black Hills	Existing Rebate Amount	Proposed 2019 Rebate Amount
Residential-Furnace	Up to $700	Up to $225
Residential-Boiler	$600	None
Residential-Water Heater	$150	$125
Residential-Insulation	Up to 70% of costs	None
Residential-Air Sealing	Up to 70% of cost	None
Commercial-Furnace	Up to $700	Up to $200
Commercial-Boiler	Up to $1,200	None
Commercial-Water Heater	$150	None
Commercial-90% efficient or more Water Heater	$300	$150
Commercial-Insulation	Up to 70% of cost	None
Commercial-Air Sealing	Up to 70% of cost	None

Black Hills Energy has rebates for commercial Energy Star rated cooking and refrigeration equipment. Those rebates are also lowered in the proposed 2019 rebates.

There will still be rebates in 2019, and some will be at similar levels to those existing now. Customers are able to file rebate claims for the 2018 rebate levels through March 2019 so there's still time to get a project done with the existing rebate levels.

More information can be found online at https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/save-money-energy