Phase II: Low-Income Furnace Replacement Program

Nearly $1.3 million remained at the end of the first phase of Ohio’s appliance rebate program. These available dollars have been reprogrammed to assist the low-income community in replacing home heating equipment to help reduce energy bills. These funds are meant to supplement existing Home Weatherization Assistance Program health and safety funds and other available sources of funds to serve additional customers, install more units, and save more energy. These funds will be made available to the existing Home Weatherization Assistance Program provider network to deliver this program.

This program will serve income-eligible customers (at or below 200 percent of poverty) that are Home Weatherization Assistance Program eligible customers. The program will facilitate the replacement of an existing inefficient home heating unit with an ENERGY STAR furnace, boiler, or air source heat pump. The program funds will only cover the cost of the unit. If Home Weatherization Assistance Program health and safety funds are used to cover installation and peripherals, then those replaced units will be limited to:

• the cost to eliminate the presence of hazardous levels of combustion by-products in the living space from a home heating appliance that cannot otherwise be eliminated through routine tune-up or repairs, or
• to replace a non-repairable home heating appliance

If other funds are leveraged from utility incentive programs, the homeowner or other sources in order to cover installation expenses, then the Home Weatherization Assistance Program provider will ensure those corresponding program requirements are satisfied. Providers will target units that have an 80 percent or lower Steady State Efficiency rating.

The available program funding will be allocated to Home Weatherization Assistance Program providers based on the most recent performance report. Unused funds will be subject to reallocation.

Customers must be enrolled for weatherization services to participate.

Customers that have already completed the Home Energy Assistance Program application and have been enrolled for services should contact their local Home Weatherization Assistance Program provider if interested in participating. A list of providers can be found here.

Eligible customers that are not currently enrolled for weatherization service can find additional information about the Home Weatherization Assistance Program, including information on how to apply for services, here.

Program Details:

Products	Estimated Funding Level ($)	Estimated Quantity	Total Budget	Required ENERGY STAR Specifications
Furnace (gas, propane)	Actual price, estimated average: $850	1,029 gas, 88 propane	$949,450	Rating of 90% AFUE or greater
Furnace (oil)	Actual price, estimated average: $850	37	$31,450	Rating of 85% AFUE or greater
Boiler (oil, gas)	Actual price, estimated average: $1,700	10 oil, 5 gas	$25,500	Rating of 85% AFUE or greater
Air Source Heat Pump*	Actual price, estimated average: $1,700	152	$258,400	Split: >= 8.2 HSPF / >= 14.5 SEER / >= 12 EER. Single Package: >= 8.0 HSPF / >= 14 SEER / >= 11 EER
Totals		1,321	$1,264,800

*This does not include Central Air Conditioners, but does include additional Air Source Heat Pump equipment found here that meet the ENERGY STAR criteria requirements.

Customers, who have enrolled for weatherization services and meet the program requirements, will be issued a voucher, which documents the amount of program funds used to pay for the actual cost of the ENERGY STAR unit if funds are available in their area. Customers will sign this voucher to acknowledge receipt and installation of the ENERGY STAR unit at their home. Home Weatherization Assistance Program providers will submit a copy of the signed voucher and additional data to the Ohio Department of Development. The data required includes jobs, product type, manufacturer, fuel type, model number, AHRI number, date of purchase, purchase location, purchase price, and date of installation. Once the unit is installed, inspected and submitted to the Ohio Department of Development, the product’s costs will be reimbursed to the Home Weatherization Assistance Program provider.

Program requirements:
1) Must be for a new ENERGY STAR qualified unit that is for the replacement of existing same-type heating equipment.
2) Old unit must be properly recycled.
3) Vouchers are limited to one per household, for income eligible Ohio residents that are enrolled for weatherization services.

Additional Resources:

• List of recommended recycling facilities

 

Launch date:
The Ohio Department of Development estimates an October launch.

Promotion End Date:
January 31, 2012: End customer promotion by issuing last voucher to customer, and having the last HVAC unit installed, and inspected and invoiced to the Ohio Department of Development.

February 6, 2012: Last day for program funds to be reimbursed to the Home Weatherization Assistance Program provider (dates subject to change).

The Ohio Home Weatherization Assistance Program is a no-cost energy assistance program designed to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by income-eligible Ohioans, reduce participants’ household energy expenditures, and improve participants’ health and safety. Home Weatherization Assistance Program is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and provided to Ohioans at no cost for customers whose annual household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For more information on this program, click here. For a list of the local Home Weatherization Assistance Program providers, click here.