Whether you’re a new homeowner, or have owned your home for some time, odds are eventually you will need to replace older appliances and equipment in your home. Our family is finding ourselves in that boat currently. Both our pool pump and filter will need to be replaced in the coming days. A costly replacement, however, in researching pool pumps, I discovered there was once an opportunity to apply for rebates. That led me down a further rabbit hole discovering scads of other current rebates you can apply for and collect. These will have you save money when making improvements on your home.
I’ve compiled a list of the many different rebates available to residence owners. Happy home improving!
Available Rebates for Home Improvements & Appliance Upgrades
Water-usage related rebates (Source: City of Fresno Dept. of Public Utilities)
Each of these rebates is in addition to the money you’ll save every month. Regular water usage makes these changes very worthwhile.
Toilets – $100 per toilet, up to 3 toilets per household
A rebate is available on qualifying new WaterSense High-Efficiency Toilets that use 1.28 gallons per flush or less when replacing an old toilet manufactured before 1992, that exceeds 1.6 gallons per flush. Rebate link here.
Washing Machines – $100 rebate, 1 per household
Available for the purchase of a new, qualifying high-efficiency clothes washer certified as an ENERGY STAR appliance with a water factor of 6.0 or less. Rebate link here.
Removing Lawn & Installing Water-Wise Garden Plants – $1/sq foot rebate up to $1,500 + Drip Irrigation Rebate
You can also request a rebate for the replacement of traditional overhead spraying sprinklers with micro-drip irrigation. The Water Conservation Program requires customers request and complete a Water-Wise Landscape Consultation prior to removing lawn. This free service is provided by the Water Conservation Program and includes recommendations for water-wise plants suitable for the area, irrigation installation, and lawn removal. Fresno residents may request this service through the FresGO app or by calling the City of Fresno’s 311 Center at (559) 621-CITY. Rebate link here.
Smart Sprinkler Controller – $100 per household
A rebate of up to $100 is available for the purchase and installation of a qualifying new WaterSense certified Smart Irrigation Controller. These controllers account for the weather, type of landscaping, and adjust based on the amount of irrigation needed for your growing zone and amount of sunlight, so only the necessary water is used. (Our family used this program to install a Roku brand controller, which is controlled via Smart phone app.) Rebates are limited to one (1) smart irrigation controller per qualified account for the lifetime of the account. Rebate link here.
Pool Cover Rebate – $100 per household
When you have a pool cover, you get to avoid the water evaporation you’d normally experience without a cover. Pool covers are available in a range of materials and designs. They can provide additional benefits such as reducing cleaning requirements and chemical use. They also provide a measure of safety for animals and children. Rebate link here.
Tankless Water Heater – $100 rebate per household
With a standard hot water plumbing system, users have to wait anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes for hot water. These wasted gallons add up quickly. A study by the Department of Energy estimated that a household of four people can save anywhere from 3,600 to 12,000 gallons per year with an ‘on demand’ hot water heater. Rebate link here.
Energy-usage related rebates (Source: PG&E)
Each of these rebates is in addition to the money you’ll save every month on your electric bill.
Smart Thermostat – $50 per household
Smart Thermostats like the Nest thermostat learn your family’s patterns of when you’re home and the temperatures you like, and automatically adjust and learn to keep those schedules. They also save energy automatically by going into eco-mode when no one is home (eco-mode temperatures are ultimately set by the user) so if you forget to turn the heater or ac off before you leave the house, you don’t have to worry about wasting hours of energy. You can also set your thermostat on the go, using your Smart phone. Full details here.
High Efficiency Electric Water Heater Tank – $300 per household
Get $300 back from PG&E when you replace an older, less efficient electric water heater (from 35 – 55 gallons) with a new, High Efficiency model. Additional qualifications apply. To get full details, visit the link here.
Weatherization Services and Repairs – Low-income/free program
For those with low or fixed incomes, homeowners can apply for assistance with things in their home that affect energy usage negatively, such as a malfunctioning fridge, broken duct work, or old weather stripping, and apply to have repairs completed at no cost through a special program offered by Fresno EOC. For more information, click here.
Is there an assistance program for hot water heaters for seniors?