Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) voted to create jobs and save homeowners money by providing incentives to consumers to install energy-saving measures. The Home Star Energy Retrofit Act (H.R. 5019) passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 246 to 161.

“Home Star is about creating jobs in Washington state and saving folks money during these tough economic times,” said Rep. Larsen. “Too many of our friends and neighbors remain out of work and struggling to make ends meet.  Home Star will help put people back to work in manufacturing and construction jobs that can’t be shipped overseas and save families money on their soaring energy bills.” 

Home Star will spur energy efficient renovations by providing rebates to homeowners who install energy-saving products, such as insulation, windows and doors, air sealing and water heaters.  An estimate by the non-profit ClimateWorks concluded that the Home Star legislation will create 170,000 jobs and save homeowners nearly $10 billion on their energy bills over the next decade.

“Not only will Home Star help reduce unemployment, it will also help reduce pollution and our dependence on foreign oil,” said Rep. Larsen.

The Home Star program will give an important boost to programs already operating in Northwest Washington.  David Finet, the Executive Director of the Opportunity Council, highlighted the potential benefits of the Home Star legislation.

"Opportunity Council has been providing energy efficiency improvements for homes in Whatcom, Island and San Juan Counties through the federally-funded weatherization assistance program for over 25 years,” said Finet. “Thousands of people in our community are already benefiting from warmer homes with lower energy bills, and there are thousands of households that could still benefit from weatherization. The whole community benefits from the energy savings, jobs and the economic boost of energy efficiency programs. The Home Star program will have a positive impact on our communities and help get our economy back on track.”

Home Star includes two different programs to help boost home energy renovation.

• Silver Star – This provides up-front rebates for specific energy-saving investments, including insulation, duct sealing, windows and doors, air sealing and water heaters at the time of sale. Homeowners receive up to $1,500 per improvement, with a rebate of up to $3,000 or 50 percent of the total project cost.

• Gold Star – This rewards homeowners who conduct a comprehensive energy audit and implement measures to reduce energy use, backed by a quality assurance program. Consumers receive $3,000 for a demonstrated savings of 20 percent, plus an additional $1,000 for each additional 5 percent energy savings up to $8,000 – capped at 50 percent of the project cost.

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