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Santa Clara County Rewards Homeowners For Energy Conservation

CUPERTINO (KCBS) –Santa Clara County is offering generous discounts for home energy check-ups, as rising temperatures have many homeowners thinking about ways to keep their house cool this summer.

One of these home energy assessments usually costs anywhere from $400 to $1,000, after which homeowners still have to pay for recommended energy upgrades.

"We don't want the cost of an assessment to be a barrier to homeowners," said Santa Clara County's Energy Program Manager Sharlene Carlson.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

She explained that's why they are offering to pay 80 percent of the cost of an assessment.

"For a very reasonable amount they can get some very good information about how energy efficient their home is, and how much more energy efficient they could make the home," said Carlson.

PG&E offers rebates for improvements like duct work, insulation and new windows.

Cupertino homeowner Viji Vijaykumar had an assessment and the recommended energy upgrades.

"It was very easy, talking to PG&E and getting the rebates," she said.

Santa Clara County offers the most generous rebates in the Bay Area. For more information on the program you can visit https://energyupgradeca.org/overview.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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