The Renewable Energy Equipment Grant program offers grants of up to $4,700 to low-income Minnesota residents for installing a solar space heating or bio-fuel heating system.

Another program that may be beneficial, but is not specifically designated for low-income residents, is the NEC Minnesota Energy Loan Program, which offers loans of up to $35,000 for weatherization measures at a 6.25 percent interest rate for homeowners with household incomes at $91,300 or less.

There are also a ton of rebates that low-income homeowners can take advantage even though they are not specific to low-income residents. Since there are so many to choose from, let’s focus on the incentives that will help you replace outdated appliances with energy efficient models. The following are a list of incentives that are available for this measure, and you may be able to stack them to help cover the as much of the cost as possible:

• Elk River Municipal Utilities: Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program


• Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative: Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program


• Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association: Residential Energy Efficiency Rebate Program


• US Government: Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit