Indiana opens up rebate program to help Hoosiers lower their energy bills, carbon emissions

Indiana residents can apply for money from the state to help make their home more energy efficient. The Indiana Office of Energy Development opened up more than $180 million in home energy rebates for Hoosiers last week.

The rebates can be used for everything from air sealing and insulation to appliances like water heaters and electric stoves.

The program is open to everyone — including homeowners, renters and landlords. But how much of a discount you'll receive depends on your income, how many people you live with, and how much energy the upgrade is expected to save.

Mark Kresowik is senior policy director with the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

"These rebates are going to help people lower their energy costs, lower their bills at this particular moment when so many — you know, a third of households in this country — struggle to keep the lights on," he said.

READ MORE: The Inflation Reduction Act spurred clean energy investment in Indiana. Will it continue?
 

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 765-275-1120. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on climate solutions and climate change at ipbs.org/climatequestions.
 

Kresowik said these home energy rebate programs could also help boost state economies.

"In a state like Indiana — that doesn't have a lot of utility energy-efficiency programs or energy-efficiency incentives right now — this has the potential to build an entire ecosystem of contractors and jobs that are working with this program," he said.

The funding for the rebates comes from the federal Inflation Reduction Act. Though there's still funding for state energy-efficiency rebates, House Republicans have threatened to cut federal energy-efficiency tax credits.

Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.