$200 Rebate
for homes that use electricity as a primary heat source and choose to seal up air leaks.*
You can work with your participating building diagnostics auditor to meet the requirements to qualify for this rebate.

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What is it?

Air leaks alone can account for 10% to 25% of a home's heating and cooling costs. Some air leaks are easy to find because they are easy to feel—like those around windows and doors. But holes by bypasses in attics, basements, and crawlspaces are usually bigger problems. Sealing these leaks with caulk or weatherstripping can have a great impact on improving comfort and reducing energy costs.

As a participant in the HEA with Building Diagnostics program, your auditor will identify hard-to-find air leaks through the use of a blower door test and infrared thermal scan. He or she will also help you identify the bypasses or air leaks with the potential greatest impact on energy costs. If you are a Minnesota Power customer with electricity as your primary heating source, you may qualify for up to a $200 rebate for sealing up those leaks. You must work with a participating building diagnostics auditor to meet the requirements to qualify for this rebate.

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The most common places inside your home where energy-wasting air leaks occur are the following:

Windows, doors and baseboard molding Plumbing penetrations Fireplace openings and damper Attic access hatches Recessed lights and fixtures

Electric outlets Dropped ceiling or soffits above bathtubs and cabinets Wiring penetration Knee walls

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For more information on air sealing (the what and how how as well as recommendations to maintain good indoor air quality**) visit these Web sites:

Air Sealing with ENERGY STAR®
Air Sealing: Caulking and Weatherization Guide
Air Sealing: Improves Energy Efficiency and Air Quality
EPA Indoor Air Quality in Homes

* Additional rebates or loans for air sealing may be available for Duluth residents through ComfortSystems (218-730-4025) and/or the Duluth Energy Efficiency Program (DEEP) (218-336-1038).

** Homeowners are often concerned about sealing their house too tightly; however, this is very unlikely in most older homes. A certain amount of fresh air is needed for good indoor air quality and there are specifications that set the minimum amount of fresh air needed for a house. If you are concerned about how tight your home is, as a participant in the HEA with Building Diagnostics, a trained energy auditor will use diagnostic tools to measure your home's actual leakage. If your home is too tight, a fresh air ventilation system may be recommended. After any home sealing project, have a heating and cooling technician check to make sure that your combustion appliances (gas- or oil-fired furnace, water heater, and dryer) are venting properly. (see Air Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR®)

How do I participate?

1. Participate in the Home Energy Analysis with Building Diagnostics program.
2. Work with your participating building diagnostics auditor to complete the air sealing checklist to identify major leaks in your home and complete a post-blower door test to measure success in sealing the leaks.
3. Hire a participating auditor or their designee with experience in air sealing to do the work, or do the work yourself.
4. You must use the same participating auditor that completed the HEA with Building Diagnostics to complete the post-air sealing blower door test determining the impact of air sealing. Minnesota Power will provide you a $60 incentive toward the cost of this phase of the blower door testing.
5. If you do the air sealing work yourself, you will need to track all material expenses and submit receipts to the auditor after the post air sealing blower door test for submission to Minnesota Power. You will be reimbursed for the cost of these materials up to $200.

What are the requirements to participate
in the Air Sealing Rebate Program?

1. Must be a Minnesota Power customer responsible for his or her electric bill.
2. Must meet all the requirements to participate in the HEA with Building Diagnostics program.
3. Must be an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling with electricity as the primary heating source.
4. Must work with a participating auditor to complete the pre- and post-blower door testing and air sealing checklist.
5. At the completion of the post air sealing blower door assessment, the auditor will submit the completed rebate, air sealing checklist (available from participating auditors), invoice, and material receipts (if you do the work yourself) to Minnesota Power for payment of the rebate up to $200 and a $60 incentive for the post-blower door testing. You will receive your rebate within 6–8 weeks of the contractor submitting the above required paperwork.
6. The homeowner is responsible for all costs associated with the air sealing program. You will be required to pay the auditor and/or the designated air sealing contractor for their services. The rebates will cover a portion of these costs.
   

What's in it for me?

1. Increased comfort, improved air quality and reduced energy usage.
2. Incentives to help defray the cost of air sealing.
3. Identification of major air leaks or bypasses that have the greatest impact on heat loss.
4. Tools to help you measure your progress in sealing up your house.
5. The satisfaction of reducing energy waste and increasing the durability of your home.

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