Oakland County will collaborate with Michigan Saves, the first nonprofit green bank in the United States, to make at least 1,000 Oakland County homes more energy efficient, reducing energy costs for working families.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners, working with County Executive Dave Coulter’s administration and Chief Sustainability Officer Erin Quetell, designated $5 million of the county’s American Recovery Plan (ARP) funds for the Oakland SAVES (Simple Actions for Valuable Energy Savings) grant program, administered by Michigan Saves, to help make environmentally sustainable improvements to income-qualified and other households.
“Helping our residents upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes will not only enable them to save money on their utility bills but will also be beneficial for the environment,” Coulter said. “Less energy usage means a reduction in carbon emissions and that translates into a cleaner, more sustainable environment for all of us.”
The $5 million Oakland SAVES program will have two tiers of grants. The first will utilize $4 million for grants of up to $5,000 for income-qualified households. The second will use the remaining $1 million to pay up to 20 percent of a sustainable home improvement, capping out at $3,000, for any Oakland County household.
Tier one will serve residents who earn too much to qualify for free services from the federal Weatherization Assistance Program and most utility income-qualified programs, but struggle to qualify for traditional financing. These homeowners exist within every community and are overlooked when it comes to energy assistance programs. All too often, these homeowners are making ends meet but are just one emergency expense away from financial difficulty.
“Our partnership with Michigan Saves will lower the annual energy costs for Oakland County working families, and help us achieve our county’s climate action goals,” Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman David T. Woodward. “Together, we will help more than 1,000 households save money, support local jobs, and build a better and greener county for all of us.”
Some of the environmentally sustainable upgrades that are eligible for the Oakland SAVES grants include attic insulation, air sealing, basement wall or crawlspace insulation, door weatherstripping, duct insulation, floor insulation, wall insulation, ENERGY STAR doors, ENERGY STAR windows, ENERGY STAR water heaters, ENERGY STAR air conditioners, ENERGY STAR furnaces, and ENERGY STAR thermostats. Program participants may also make building code or health and safety improvements associated with installing energy-efficient upgrades.
“Utility burden, especially energy, is one of those household costs that can be easily reduced with simple energy efficiency upgrades,” Quetell said. “By weatherizing and enhancing existing homes, residents will have a more comfortable and healthy home environment. This program will not only improve the quality of life for our residents but also work towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions from our residential energy use.”
The Oakland SAVES program will be available until Dec. 31, 2025, or until the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first. For additional information or to apply for a grant, go to www.MichiganSaves.org or call 517-484-6474
“We are honored to partner with Oakland County, and we commend them for taking steps to help residents address the impact of climate change through more sustainable home energy solutions,” said Todd Parker, vice president of Michigan Saves. “Offering grants to income-qualified households is a step forward in ensuring all Michiganders benefit from clean energy and climate-resilient solutions that support healthy and thriving communities.”
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