Energy Star and NJ Clean Energy rebates for heaters in Sicklerville, NJ [2019]

The end of summer is the time to start thinking less about your air conditioner and more about your heater. Because, before you know it, fall and winter will be here. And, for many homeowners in Sicklerville, NJ, that means preparing to replace and old or broken-down HVAC system. Fortunately, you can get up to a $2,000 rebate on a new, energy-efficient furnace, boiler, water heater or ductless mini split or thanks to NJ Clean Energy.

Choosing the Right Heater for Your Home

A new heating system is a big investment, so it’s worth doing some homework ahead of time. Part of your research should be finding out what kinds of models qualify for these rebates. And, if you choose one that makes the grade, you need to know how to apply for the offer.

If you’re looking to buy a new furnace or water heater in Sicklerville, Medford, Cherry Hill, or anywhere in South Jersey, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this blog post, we’re looking at:

• What rebates you can get in South Jersey
• Which models are eligible
• How much money you can get
• How to take advantage of these offers

Heater Replacement in Sicklerville, NJ

If it seems like South Jersey winters are getting colder each year, it’s not just you. Temperatures are dipping lower and lower. That makes heater replacement an important consideration before those freezing temperatures settle in Sicklerville.

And, taking care of the problem in the fall rather than winter puts you in a better position. That’s why a tune-up is always a good idea.

Otherwise, if your heater fails in the dead of winter, you’re probably looking at extra emergency service charges to get it taken care of quickly.

And, you won’t have as much time to find the best model for your home.

Plus, who wants to go even one day in freezing temperatures without heat in the house?

Once you’ve decided it’s time for a new HVAC system, you can start looking into how to get money back on your investment.

Heating Appliance Rebates From NJ Clean Energy

NJ Clean Energy offers incentives for homeowners to buy energy-efficient appliances. The group works local energy providers such as Atlantic City Electric and South Jersey Gas to provide rebates when you buy new heating units.

Depending on the model, you can get back:

• Up to $950 on a water heater and gas furnace combination
• $700 on a single water heater or boiler
• $300 on a boiler
• Up to $500 on a gas furnace

Then, there’s the group’s Home Performance With Energy Star program. Here, you can get up to $4,000 for various home improvements.

That process starts with an energy audit. From there, you’ll find out ways you can lower your energy bills while also improving your indoor air quality.

These offers will be around until June 30, 2020. But, you can’t just buy the cheapest model you can find.

Instead, NJ Clean Energy has specific qualifications for each model for you to get money back. The idea behind it is to get people to use less energy and thereby reduce their carbon footprints.

It’s good for the environment. And, it results in lower energy bills. So, it’s good for your wallet, too.

Let’s look at how to tell if the equipment you want qualifies.

NJ Clean Energy Offers and Energy Star Certifications

Energy Star ratings go hand-in-hand with the offers from NJ Clean Energy. So, it’s a good idea to understand how those work and how they apply.

The federal Energy Star program certifies whether various appliances are energy efficient. A product must use less energy than a similar model that produces the same results to qualify.

Odds are, you’ve seen this blue-and-white label on products and appliances before:

That means it’s certified.

Or, you might have seen this black and yellow sticker on HVAC equipment outlining how much money it could save you:

Since they measure efficiency, these ratings go hand-in-hand with NJ Clean Energy. If the heater or boiler you have in mind has the label, it should qualify for a rebate.

How to Read an AFUE Ratings for an Appliance Rebate

You’ll see the term “AFUE” a lot when you’re determining if a heater is energy efficient. It’s short for “Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency.” This measure tells you how much gas or oil the unit uses to produce heat, and how much gets lost through exhaust.

The higher the percentage, or rating, the less fuel gets wasted.

Today, all furnaces need AFUE ratings of 78 or more. That means they can’t waste more than 22 percent of the gas they use.

If that seems like a lot to lose, consider that, years ago, 56 AFUE heaters were common a few decades ago.

Anyway, 78 is the bare minimum. For a rebate, you need a gas furnace with 95 or 97 AFUE ratings. For oil furnaces, the cutoff is 85 percent.

UEF and Water Heater Capacity

For water heaters, the term to look for is Uniform Energy Factor or UEF for short. It tells you how efficient it is.

The US Department of Energy adopted this measure because it gives manufacturers a consistent set of standards. Before the UEF, each brand used different criteria to tell you how much energy their products used.

This practice made apples-to-apples comparisons of different brands pretty much impossible.

Today, you can get $300 back on tank heaters that store less than 55 gallons of water, use propane or natural gas, and have a UEF of .64 or higher.

Heaters that hold more than 55 gallons need a UEF of .85 or more. And, tankless heaters – ones that hold less than two gallons, need a .90 UEF rating or more.

You can get a bigger rebate on a water heater that uses an electric heat pump, however. Ones with a UEF of at least 2.0 will get you $750 back.

Ductless Heating for NJ Clean Energy Rebates

If you’re looking for the most efficient systems – and the biggest refunds – consider ductless heating. Dollar for dollar, these systems, also called mini splits, use less energy and cost less to run than oil, gas, or traditional electric heat. And, they often provide more comfortable heating and cooling.

As far as the incentives go, you’ll need to look at the EER, SEER and HSPF ratings. We’ll break those down quickly here.

EER, or Energy Efficiency Ratio, and SEER, or Seasonal Efficiency Ratio, both tell you how efficiently the system provides air conditioning. Even though we’re talking about heating today, these setups also provide cooling.

Then, the Heating Seasonal Performance Ratio, or HSPF, measures the efficiency of the heat pump.

WIth NJ Clean Energy, you can get $600 back for a system that’s rated 16 SEER, 13 EER, and 10 HSPF. Systems rated 18 SEER, 13 EER, and 10 HSPF are eligible for up to $1,000 in rebates.

Then, you can get more depending on how many indoor units you get. Multi-zone systems that treat more than one room can get you $2,000 back if they meet the requirements.

Applying for Heating Appliance Rebates

It’s easy to apply for the NJ Clean Energy heating appliance rebates. But, there’s a lot of paperwork involved, and everything needs to be in order.

To start, visit their website here for the application. Or, call the group at (888) 258-4904.

But before you pick up the phone, make sure everything’s in order.

The first thing you’ll need is a load calculation that a certified HVAC company performed. This is a professional audit of how much cooling or heating your home requires.

And, you need to send in the manufacturer and model information for everything unit you buy. You also need the model number and invoices showing how much you paid for everything.

Then, everything needs to be installed by a certified professional. That’s because you need the equipment under warranty. And, manufacturers require that the units are installed by a company that’s certified to work on their equipment.

Add to that an invoice from the distributor, and AHRI certificates that verify the UEF, or AFUE, or EER, SEER, and HSPF ratings.

Finally, you need a permit, or permit application, from your municipality to have someone install the equipment.

It’s a lot to take in. And, depending on what you’re getting, it could almost seem like it’s not worth it.

But, the trick is to get the right HVAC installer.

At Bovio, we’re familiar with everything you need to get the rebate. And, we’re certified to work with all major HVAC brands.

Give us a call for a free consultation. If you’re ready to replace your heating equipment, we’ll help you find the system that’s just right for your home. We’ll also make sure the models are eligible for the rebates. And, we’ll handle all that documentation, so you don’t have to – and also so you’re confident a professional handled it all correctly.

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