r When your air conditioner or furnace dies, you find yourself facing some quick, perhaps difficult, decisions. You want to avoid scam artists who know how to turn your practicality against you.
“Emails or bids offering huge rebates that disappear after the equipment is installed and paid for are alarmingly effective for dishonest contractors,” warns Jen Wyatt with Consumer Affairs.
“We hate to see customers who’ve had a system installed by someone with the promise of huge rebates, only to find out later that their system didn’t qualify or the rebates were far less than promised,” noted Steve Gentry with Gentry Heating and Air.
Before you make any decisions, do your homework on the contractor and on the incentives.
Make sure the contractor is licensed by going to www.dopl.utah.gov and selecting the link to Verify a License. Enter their name to check their status. If it doesn’t say Active, they are not licensed. Make sure there aren’t any disciplinary actions or citations against them.
Check reviews on Facebook, Google Plus, local.ksl.com and others.
Go to the Rocky Mountain Gas Association’s site at utrmga.org to search for certified contractors in your zip code.
Call Rocky Mountain Power at 1-888-221-7070 to verify that they are a Qualified Trade Ally.
Heating and cooling are usually the two largest energy users in your home. You can reduce your energy use by 20 to 40 percent by switching to a high-efficiency home comfort system.
Along with the energy cost savings, if you know what rebates and tax credits are available in your area, those incentives are often enough to make purchasing high-efficiency equipment an easy win-win all around.
Go to www.energystar.gov/about/federal_tax_credits to see what Federal Income Tax Credits are available for energy efficiency.
Go to thermwise.com and select Appliance Rebates to see what rebates are available through Questar Gas.
At rockymountainpower.net, select the Residential tab and then Save Energy. Select your state to see the wattsmart incentives you can qualify for.
At uamps.com select the Smart Energy tab to see what you might qualify for.
“HVAC systems are a long-term investment. You have to live with your choice for a lot of years,” adds Robert Moore of Nebo Comfort Systems. “We love educating our customers so they can made decisions confidently.”
Making the right decision on your home comfort system can seem overwhelming, but with a trusted expert at your side and armed with solid information, you can make an easy investment that is sure to keep your family comfortable for years to come.
