Savings Within Reach
Increased incentives for income-qualified households
Energy-saving home improvements can help lower your energy bills, and you don’t need a big budget to get started. Savings Within Reach helps make home energy upgrades more affordable for income-qualified households. With increased cash incentives on qualifying projects, you’ll spend less on energy-saving projects and enjoy a more comfortable home.
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Establish your eligibility.
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Contact an Energy Trust of Oregon trade ally contractor trained to provide Savings Within Reach services.
Your contractor will provide a bid for eligible upgrades.
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Prior to beginning improvements, your contractor will ask you to sign an Income Verification form to confirm your eligibility.
All improvements must be installed by an approved Energy Trust trade ally trained to provide Savings Within Reach services.
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After installation, your contractor will submit your signed incentive application.
Your Income Verification form and invoices for your energy-efficient improvements will also be submitted to Energy Trust. Incentives will be paid directly to your contractor, who will deduct the incentive amount from your invoice, reducing your out-of-pocket costs. You are responsible for paying the balance of the invoice.
In addition to the eligibility requirements listed in the Steps tab, to participate you must live in a single-family home, manufactured home or multifamily residence that is an attached side-by-side unit like a rowhome, or is a unit within a duplex, triplex, or fourplex property. Stacked structures with five or more units are only eligible for the ductless heat pump and heat pump water heater incentives. You must also meet Energy Trust’s income qualifications listed below.
Please note: If you live in a rental property, the homeowner or property owner must approve work before it begins.
| Household size | Gross annual income minimum | Gross annual income maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 1 resident | $25,760 | $55,610 |
| 2 residents | $34,840 | $72,722 |
| 3 residents | $43,920 | $89,832 |
| 4 residents | $53,000 | $106,944 |
| 5 residents | $62,080 | $124,056 |
| 6 residents | $71,160 | $141,166 |
| 7 residents | $80,240 | $144,374 |
| 8 residents | $89,320 | $147,582 |
For qualification questions or more information regarding Savings Within Reach, call 1.866.368.7878.
| Upgrade | Incentive | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Attic insulation | $0.50 per square foot | If existing condition is R-11 or less, insulate to R-38. Manufactured homes are not eligible for this incentive. |
| Wall insulation | $0.50 per square foot | Exterior wall insulation: Knee wall insulation: Rim joist insulation: Manufactured homes are not eligible for this incentive. |
| Floor insulation | $0.40 per square foot | If R-0, insulate to R-30 or fill cavity. Manufactured homes are not eligible for this incentive. |
| Heat pump controls | $250 | Controls must be included in Energy Trust’s list of qualifying products. Controls must have an outdoor temperature sensor or be web-enabled and retrieve weather data from the internet. Must lockout electric furnace auxiliary heat at 35°F or lower. Existing or replacement heat pump must have electric furnace backup to qualify. Cannot be combined with other heat pump, heat pump controls or smart thermostat incentives. |
| Efficient heat pump | $1,000 | Minimum efficiency heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) 8.5. Incentive is only available for homes replacing from electric forced-air furnace. Cannot be combined with other heat pump, heat pump controls or thermostat incentives. |
| Ductless heat pump* | $1,000 | Minimum efficiency HSPF 9.0. Home must use electric resistance heat** as the primary heat source. One indoor unit must be installed in the primary living area of the home and must displace electric resistance heat. |
| High-efficiency gas furnace | $550 | Furnace must be home’s primary heating source. 90% annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) or greater. Gas furnaces used as backup for heat pumps, also known as hybrid systems, are not eligible. |
| Heat pump water heater tier 3* | $270 | Eligible models must meet Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (NEEA’s) Advanced Water Heater Specification Tier 3 and replace an existing electric water heater to qualify for this cash incentive. Tank may be any size. |
*Please note: Stacked structures with five or more units are eligible for the ductless heat pump and heat pump water heater incentives only.
**Examples of electric resistance heat include baseboards, ceiling heat, wall heat and electric forced-air furnaces.
Special qualification rules and restrictions apply. Incentives are subject to funding availability and may change.
Incentives are not intended to influence consumer decisions on fuel sources.
If you are interested in rooftop solar for your home, Energy Trust offers increased cash incentives for Savings Within Reach-qualified households through Solar Within Reach. For more information, visit our Solar Within Reach page or call 1.866.368.7878.
You may qualify for certain upgrades at no cost from your local Community Action Agency based on your income. Visit oregon.gov to find a Community Action Agency near you.
Download our Savings Within Reach fact sheet.
Energy Trust recommends getting at least three bids from contractors, but it is not a requirement to participate. To participate in Savings Within Reach, your contractor must be a trained Energy Trust trade ally contractor approved to offer Savings Within Reach. Approved contractors can be found using our Find a Contractor tool. Energy Trust is also happy to send you three approved contractors if you would like.
Yes. If you invest in additional energy-saving improvements, you can receive standard Energy Trust incentives. However, each improvement is eligible for only one incentive. For example, if you install wall insulation, you must choose either the Savings Within Reach incentive or the standard Energy Trust incentive. With Savings Within Reach, the incentive is paid to your contractor and provided as a line-item discount on your invoice.
To receive standard incentives for a project that is not part of Savings Within Reach, you will pay your contractor in full and then submit your incentive application and invoices to Energy Trust to receive your cash incentive.
Ductless heat pump or equipment upgrades that are made in individual units can qualify for Savings Within Reach incentives by using the income of the property owner or the income of the tenant residing in the unit where the energy upgrade is being installed.
For upgrades that are completed throughout the entire building to qualify, like insulation, the income verification must be for the property owner or for every tenant household.
Your gross annual income is the total amount currently earned annually by all household members before taxes and deductions. Income includes all gross wages, tips, rental income, public assistance, social security or pensions, income from self-employment, alimony, or any other sources of income defined by the IRS income tax return.
Here is a sample income calculation:
$15 hourly wage x 32 hours per week x 52 weeks per year = $24,960.
Yes. However, if your gross income is below the minimum income level for your household size, you may qualify for free weatherization services from Oregon’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which is administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services. For more information, call 1.800.453.5511, option 2, or contact your local Community Action Agency. (Please note: You are not required to use these services to participate in Savings Within Reach.)
Anyone reported as a member of your household on the IRS income tax return for the previous tax year.
Questions?
For income qualification questions or more information regarding Savings Within Reach, call 1.866.368.7878 for single-family home projects or 1.877.510.2130 for multifamily projects.