Washington, D.C., May 6, 2010 – The Alliance to Save Energy today praised the House of Representative's passage of the Home Star Energy Retrofits Act (H.R. 5019), legislation that would provide on-the-spot rebates for homeowners who make energy efficiency home improvements and create as many as 168,000 American construction jobs over the next two years.

“Today's House passage of the Home Star program brings us one day closer to putting American construction workers back to work and helping millions of cash-strapped Americans make cost-saving energy efficiency improvements to their homes,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan.

Home Star would provide rebates to homeowners who retrofit their homes with energy efficient equipment and materials, including insulation, windows and heating and cooling equipment. The legislation would create two rebate programs, one for such specific improvements and one for whole-home energy-use reductions. The first category of rebates would be for up to $3,000 per home, the second for up to $8,000.

“While the average U.S. household could save up to 20 percent on its home energy bills with energy efficiency upgrades, in today's economy many have not had the financial wherewithal to do so,” Callahan continued. “By helping to 'buy down' the cost of energy efficiency home improvements, Congress can create a ripple effect that will be felt across our entire economy.”

Callahan concluded, “The Alliance applauds Congress and the Obama Administration for their tireless work on this legislation. Home Star is a common sense approach to address our country's overall energy usage, create American jobs and create a healthier environment for our families. We hope the Senate will promptly send this legislation to the president for his signature.”

(For additional information see the Alliance summary of the Home Star bill.)