Citizen Action of WI Debuts Plan to Fight the Climate Crisis, Lower Bills & Create Good Jobs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Citizen Action members in Wisconsin's Driftless region have learned that upgrading all homes to be energy efficient is the biggest single thing we can do to fight the coming climate crisis at home, while also creating high skilled jobs, right here and now.

With that, we began to urge Wisconsin utility companies to upgrade homes for people, as they do in many other states. Some, like Alliant, say they're looking into it. But most didn't respond to consumer's requests.

So we decided to not wait for them. We are here now to announce we have negotiated a big deal for working people to fight climate change. Now we are looking for 250 leaders to be the first build the campaign for Good Job & Green Homes.

 

We have worked out a deal with Associated Bank (to start, eventually more) to unveil a new type of "Green" home loan available across Wisconsin and in parts of Illinois & Minnesota where over 500,000 people who...

  • are buying a home,
  • have a current mortgage with greater than 3.125% interest (as of 10.5)*, or
  • have paid off their home
  • rent in a multi-family building of between 1-4 units

...can to add insulation, solar panels, smart heating/cooling systems, low flow plumbing, windows and more to their building. With no upfront cost, these upgrades pay for themselves through lower utility bills and you can qualify for $4,000 to $8,000 in both incentive payments and tax credits sent directly to you. Click here for a description of how it works. Citizen Action of WI will keep fighting until everyone can upgrade their home affordably to reduce their carbon emissions!

Later this Fall (2019), Citizen Action WI will launch a project to help homeowners understand how to sign up for the bank's program to easily reduce their home's carbon emissions and reduce sales to the utility. However, for now, we have two stipulations: we are starting to explain this program first to members of Citizen Action of Wisconsin's Organizing Co-op, and we want to make sure contractor jobs created are good family-supporting careers. We are starting with 250 leaders to be the first "early adopters", to upgrade their homes with solar panels, increased insulation, smart heating/cooling systems and save more than it costs to do it.

 

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Additional Information

Click here for a downloadable flyer with this information.

For Example: A person with a $150,000 home could qualify for $22,500 in upgrades. Enough to (for example) get solar panels, insulation, smart thermostat and low flow plumbing added in if they move their mortgage to Associated Bank. These upgrades pay for themselves in energy immediately saved and increase the home's value. This person would also qualify for a $2,000 to $4,000 incentive payment check** sent directly to them, and a $4,000 or more federal tax credit for solar come tax time.

How the energy loan with Associated Bank works

  • Sign up to be one of the early adopters here, we'll work with you to figure out how this would help you. Learn more about this home loan. Co-op members pool small monthly contributions together to support local campaign(s) with a full time organizer to advance the cause!

  • Citizen Action will work with you to determine how to get solar panels, increased insulation, air sealing, smart thermostat, low flow plumbing and/or heating upgrades that pay for themselves in lower utility costs.*

  • Citizen Action will provide a list of qualified local union, cooperative, women-owned and/or minority-owned contractors where possible; we will also prepare for you to meet with the bank in order to understand what to ask for.

  • After upgrades, we will show you how to qualify for $1,000 to $3,000 in incentive payments from Focus on Energy, or your local utility**. These will be mailed 8-10 weeks after your upgrades are done. Click here for a list of Focus incentives. (** - Note, Xcel customers have access to increased incentives, while some utility cooperatives have different incentive payment amounts)

  • For solar or geothermal upgrades, you will also qualify for a 26% tax credit on your next taxes. NOTE: this is a nonrefundable tax credit, so it just lowers what you owe but it can apply to future years if you don't use it all in one year. 

 

Click here to learn more about Citizen Action's Driftless Organizing Co-op

Questions? Contact Kevin.kane@citizenactionwi.org

* - including interest on loan, based on Associated Bank's publicly listed 15 & 30 year fixed commercial mortgage rates of 3.125% to 3.75% respectively as found here as of 10.5.2019. Subject to change.