State program offers rebates for new furnaces and A/C.

The State announced its program for rebates on energy heating and cooling systems today. The Indiana Heating and Air-Conditioning Incentive Program (IHIP) is Indiana’s State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide Hoosier homeowners with rebates for the purchase of ENERGY STAR® qualified heating and cooling systems.

The program offers $300 rebates on gas furnaces that have a 92% AFUE rating, for example.

This program can be combined with rebates from Citizen's Gas as well as the 30% federal energy tax credit.


Many of the homes in Emerson Heights still have older gas furnaces that are only 60% efficient rather than the 92-95% efficient that are common today. As much as 40 cents of every heating dollar is wasted with these older systems. Besides being inefficient, any furnace with a pilot light is at least 30 years old, at the end of its useful life and hurts the resale value of the home.

Both the state and federal program are stimulus funds and therefore are for a limited time. Be sure to understand the equipment requirements as well as the other limitations of these programs.

For energy saving tips, see "Emerson Heights, A Green Neighborhood"