Israel: Going Green Begins at Home

If we want to lower fuel costs and kick our dependence on foreign oil, we have to start at home – literally.

This week, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited our congressional district to announce a new pilot program that will make it easier for homeowners to go green. The PowerSaver loan pilot program will give Long Islanders a way to retrofit their homes and reduce their energy bills. The program will allow certain local lenders to offer homeowners low-cost loans to make energy-saving improvements including the installation of insulation, duct sealing, doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, and solar systems.

Making homes energy efficient is a proven job creator, a money saver, and an emissions reducer. For many homeowners, the only thing standing in their way is the front-end cost – but over time, these improvements will pay for themselves in savings on energy bills.

Check out more pictures from the event here. And for more information on how I’m helping to lower energy costs for Long Island families, visit my website at http://israel.house.gov.