The federal government offers the Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit equal to 30 percent up to $1,500 of the cost of energy efficiency upgrades including efficient windows, doors, insulation, air sealing, HVAC equipment and more. In order to qualify for this tax credit, your windows will need to be ENERGY STAR rated with a U factor of 0.3 or less and a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.3 or less.

The federal government also offers financing opportunities for energy efficiency improvement through Energy Efficient Mortgages. The loans, interest rates and terms vary depending on the type of loan you apply for.

Keep in mind that there are several rebates for other types of energy efficiency upgrades that are often more cost effective than replacing windows. If you’d like an idea of what retrofits would have the greatest impact on your utility bills, check out our online energy audit calculator. This quick and easy tool will you give you a list of cost-effective upgrades as well as an idea of how much money you can save.