Expanded service includes no-cost electric upgrades for qualified residents
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) expands its popular electric appliance rebate program to include a full-home service, making it easier for residents to go electric. The new service manages every step of the upgrade process including a free, no-obligation energy assessment, professional installation of efficient electric equipment, fixed pricing pre-negotiated by SVCE, and assistance applying for SVCE and third-party rebates. The full-service support also includes no-cost upgrades for income-qualified residents.
“One of the nice things about this program is that SVCE fronts the rebates. In many cases, we would have to pay for things and get the rebates later. I like [that] that’s not how this program works. It’s very customer-friendly,” said Bruce Karney, a resident of Mountain View and an SVCE customer. “It’s challenging to find a vendor to do a project like this, in particular, a project you only do once in your lifetime. So yes, I wanted to take advantage of somebody else doing the hard work for me and enjoy the savings that SVCE is providing.”
To help residents transition to healthier, high-efficiency appliances, SVCE saw a need to bridge accessibility gaps left by existing incentive programs. The full-home support does this by handling the entire process to simplify it for participants, and by covering 100% of project costs for income-qualified customers. These qualified customers can receive upgrades for their whole home, including the installation of a heat pump heating and cooling system, heat pump water heater, induction stove, electric dryer, and other energy efficiency actions, at no cost. The service covers everything from the initial quotes to the professional installation and the appliance costs – an average of $30,000 in home improvements.
“Our customers have had access to rebates for efficient, electric equipment for many years,” said Monica Padilla, SVCE CEO. “But through administering these rebates, SVCE identified gaps in resources including the ease of finding a contractor, up-front costs and confusing pricing differences. This expanded service is designed to address those barriers so that all customers can benefit from the health, safety and comfort of all-electric living.”
The full-service support will electrify 600 homes, including 250 homes at no cost for income-qualified customers. The program aims to help homeowners electrify without the need for costly utility service upgrades. By making the most of the existing electrical capacity, homeowners can save thousands of dollars and avoid months of project delays.
SVCE is committed to helping all customers achieve a safer, emissions-free, and more energy-efficient home. As SVCE enters its tenth year of service, this expanded service exemplifies the agency’s dedication to evolving its offers for customers and strengthening the network of local contractors familiar with electric home upgrades.
To learn more about full-service support to go electric, visit https://svcleanenergy.org/full-service/.
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About Silicon Valley Clean Energy
Silicon Valley Clean Energy is a not-for-profit, community-owned agency providing electricity from renewable and clean sources to more than 280,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 Santa Clara County jurisdictions. As a public agency, net revenues are returned to the community to keep rates competitive and promote clean energy programs. Silicon Valley Clean Energy is advancing innovative solutions to fight climate change by decarbonizing the grid, transportation, and buildings. Learn more at SVCleanEnergy.org.
Media Contact
Michaela Pippin, Communications Manager
(408) 549-2690
Michaela.pippin@svcleanenergy.org
