Chris switched his primary source of power to solar power to address climate change and reduce his personal reliance on burning of fossil fuels.

His house maintained power during a recent power outage — while everyone else in the neighborhood lost power. Maintaining power during outages is important for his disabled wife.

With a family of four, Jalissa is always looking for ways to save money. She recently gotten a new A/C unit, water heater, and furnace and is excited to look into a home assessment. She thinks there are so many people who could benefit from these types of programs.

Ronald is a veteran who is raising his granddaughter and says money is tight. He’s excited to take advantage of federal funds to save money on his monthly energy bill.

Lexi lives right next to a four lane boulevard, with cars going back and forth day and night. The noise and air pollution from the cars and construction in the area have made it hard to breathe and set up activities like bonfires.

Lexi cares deeply about the environment; she was excited about potentially getting new windows and reducing her energy bill. She is also looking into getting solar panels installed.

“I have been a medical pilot for a few years so I would say my personal carbon footprint is pretty large due to my career. With that in mind I am always looking for the best options to reduce my carbon footprint at home because I want my kids to be able to enjoy their lives without the worry of climate change. I have made all the possible upgrades, but have not explored any tax rebates yet. I am looking forward to learning more about the compensation I may be able to receive for it as well.”

“My wife and I are currently professors at MSU. I specialize in weed science and how climates change affects agriculture, and my wife specializes in seed growth and how it’s affected by climate change. We are owners of an electric vehicle and are currently looking for new windows because we always have a heavy draft. I think this program could help us in the future by making it easier and more affordable to make these upgrades.”

Duane’s goal is to be as self-dependent as possible — that means for him no more DTE bills and a really energy-efficient home and lifestyle. “Energy prices will always go up,” he says. Sick of it, he decided to get solar panels, and the tax credit was the icing on the cake!

Cyrus generally knew a lot about the Inflation Reduction Act, and he said he had used the benefits to install solar to his roof as well as get a charger for his EV. He said it’s been really useful to have solar because he can store some of the energy in a battery for when there’s power outages in the area, he said it’s given him a lot of peace of mind. He was excited to hear about the free home energy assessments because he said he had gotten one a couple years ago but it wasn’t very in-depth at all, so he said he’d look into scheduling one of those.

Terri cares about being energy efficient and says it’s very important to future generations and her own health, as she has a medical oxygen tank in her home. She has recycled appliances before for compensation. Terri just recently got a new AC unit. Overall she states she’s very eco friendly and everything is up to date. She says, “clean energy = clean health!”

Floyd is excited to share his recent energy efficient upgrades to his kitchen appliances. This includes an energy efficient stove, refrigerator, microwave, and dishwasher. He has seen the money he saved in his energy bills and has ambitions to upgrade other appliances in his home.

John is a college professor who teaches environmental science. He has solar panels, an EV, and an EV charger. He was able to receive the tax rebates for these incentives. John has taken advantage of most of the incentives available to make his home more energy efficient. The last item he is looking to get is induction stove top oven.

Even at 85, Gary is making his house at environmentally sustainable as possible. He has installed eco friendly windows & also just received a quote for 23 panels for his home, which he plans to have installed. Gary says he wishes more people knew about the Inflation Reduction Act because not only does it save you money but it is also ensuring a sustainable future for upcoming generations!

Iris has previously gotten a home assessment from BWL. She had solar panels installed and has an electric vehicle already! She’s definitely noticed a change in her bills. She also loves the LED bulbs and the shower head she was sent. She says the previous owner had lightbulbs that were high in watts which made her bill really expensive. So when she made the switch to LED bulbs she noticed the cost of her electricity significantly dropped. Overall, she is saving a lot of energy and money, and in the future she would like to upgrade her water heater.

Stephanie currently works for the state in climate education, specifically working on responses to environmental health (chemicals, contamination, etc). Stephanie was excited to share that she is very familiar and in support of the IRA and has already used it as much as she can. With all of the current upgrades she has she is looking forward to getting about $4,000 back in tax credits this year. She has made upgrades such as solar panels and has a new heat pump on the way. She has dropped her gas/light bill to about $50 a month through solar and she loves it! She says that she currently really needs window insulation and is trying to find out the best way to go about it. By the end of this year she plans on purchasing a new heat pump water heater.

Jodie was already aware of the IRA and has taken advantage of it. Last year, she installed new windows, new doors, and solar panels. After these upgrades, Jodie pays almost nothing for her energy bill. Additionally, she got tax credits for all three upgrades. Since then, Jodie has done more research and has plans to get a new AC unit this year. She was happy to talk about it and share her experience with the IRA.

Rodney recently did the insulation in his basement and they actually told him that he could qualify for tax credit but he never believed them until we canvassed his house today. He plans on getting tax credit for that insulation and was asking about windows and if those qualified for tax credits and they do!

Jeanette is passionate about the environment! She thinks we shouldn’t waste our energy arguing with climate change deniers, but instead focus more on educating those on the fence. Jeanette has just upgraded her heat pump and other appliances and was excited to hear that she can receive credits and rebates for her past upgrades.

Nancy and Brian knew all about the Inflation Reduction Act, but thought the list and the actual website to calculate their savings was very helpful and they plan on sharing that with their daughter who lives down the street. They were also very knowledgeable about the BWL electric free energy assessment and said it was definitely time for another one and took another mailer for their daughter to help her get started in her new house and make sure it is all set up in the best possible way.

Jamari talked about how he recently took over the household and looks after his aunt. He had to step up as the main provider, so he was super happy to hear about the money he could be saving. His aunt is on a fixed income and he works as much as he can so he is always looking for ways to save money. Being able to help the Earth makes it that much better for him. He was super excited about free bulbs and immediately wanted to get the free HEA.

Frances’ daughter did a home assessment recently at her home in Okemos and was very happy with the results. Upon the assessment, she was given free light bulbs to help save on electric costs. Frances was excited to know that it’s covered for her, too, and will be setting up an assessment through Consumers Energy. She’s looking forward to the light bulbs and more.

Dylan had heard a little about the campaign, but didn’t know what exactly he would receive tax credits for. He had done multiple projects in the past year and a half, and was thrilled to learn that the bill is retroactive, allowing him to receive money back for his past projects!

Robert is a Lansing resident who was excited to share his experience with the IRA. He told me about all the upgrades he had done, including the air system and insulation. Being energy efficient has been a personal goal of his and he explained how grateful he was when the IRA came into effect. He told me his household tries to be as efficient as possible but he thinks he could make some more changes in the future. He has a 10 year-old gas efficient car. He said that education on the IRA is important and was excited to share his story.

Randall has done a lot of renovations to his home over the last two years. He replaced windows, installed new insulation, and made many other home improvements that qualify under the new Inflation Reduction Act. Randall was unaware of the IRA and was very happy to know the tax credits he was eligible for. He plans on sitting down with his wife soon and calculating exactly how much they will be getting in tax credits and how they can use the IRA for future renovations in order to maximize their savings!

Natalie opened the door and immediately started talking about solar panels. Natalie is an engineer and plans on setting up a field of solar panels in her front yard to power her house as well as three of her neighbors, replacing their current electrical system entirely. She will definitely be using the Inflation Reduction Act to reward herself with some energy savings for all of this fantastic renewable energy work she’s doing. She will also be setting up a solar-powered well eventually in her backyard to accompany a berry farm on some acres of land, and the IRA will save her some money on that project as well.

Ashley recently upgraded several appliances in her home a few years ago, including her water heater, AC, and windows. She already claimed the tax credits for them, and she was happy to hear the bill went up until 2032, allowing her to save more money if she is in need of more upgrades further down the road. Using energy-friendly appliances is important to Ashley because they help preserve the environment for future generations!

Shamar recently got solar panels and a tax credit for them. He is enjoying the cleaner energy and lower energy bill. Shamar’s home was built very recently, so at the moment he’s holding off on future repairs but he said he’ll keep it in mind going forward.

Everything in Alvin’s home is up-to-date! He’s already received tax rebates for a lot of the things he’s upgraded in the past few years. He grows his own plants, so he has all LED bulbs in his home. He stated that during this time, he learned a lot about the climate.

Charmaine recently renovated her home, upgrading her water heater and AC. She was unaware that she could receive tax refunds and was happy to hear how much money she could save because of the IRA. Charmaine also plans to renovate her kitchen soon and upgrade several windows in the house!

Angel has recently gotten new roofing and was seeking tax rebates for that. Although he’s never had a home assessment, he has a few LED bulbs. He says they decrease his bills a few bucks so he may completely switch over soon. Angel stated that if he was to make any electric upgrades he would choose solar panels. He wants to “grab the benefits of solar.”

Debbie was really excited to share that her home has solar panels! She said they got them installed last year and she loves having them. She even said that they sell their excess energy and she was happy to share her story. She said that the main reason she wanted the panels was because she hopes that her grandchildren will be able to experience Earth at its full beauty.

Jordan is a homeowner who loves making improvements to his house. In the last two years, Jordan has installed a furnace and gotten new AC units. He’s heard of the IRA and is in the process of getting rebates for the furnace he installed. Jordan had a lot of advice to give on the pros and cons of solar panels on homes.

Roberto had just upgraded his air conditioner and purchased a new vehicle! Roberto has done the home energy assessment before and is interested in doing it again and getting the lightbulbs and new shower heads!

Heather, a longtime resident of the neighborhood, was completely unaware of the Inflation Reduction Act. Once informed, she was delighted to hear about the tax credit as she recently installed a new AC unit. She will also be signing up for a free energy assessment!

Dena and her husband just moved in last year and are super enthusiastic about making eco-friendly changes to their house. They plan on installing solar panels, getting an EV, and even changing the roof of their house to absorb and reflect light better. They were happy to hear about the IRA, and make their changes soon!

Erica is a Ferndale homeowner who’s passionate about the environment. She’s working on getting her garden certified as a habitat for pollinators and was very eager to share her enthusiasm for the subject with us. While she was aware of environmental initiatives near her, she wasn’t aware that the Inflation Reduction Act had an environmental component. She had installed a new energy efficient furnace last year and was very excited to learn that she may still be eligible for tax credits!

Andrew is a Ferndale resident who works in marketing for the automotive industry. He spoke with our organizer Zac about the credits available for American-made electric vehicles, but he believed that the window for savings had already passed. Andrew wasn’t aware that the Inflation Reduction Act provides money back for another eight years! Andrew shared that he had also recently re-done his roof, and was excited to learn that he was eligible for savings there, too. Andrew was glad that our canvassers are doing the hard work to share valuable information with the people of Ferndale!

Jay had previously done many upgrades to his home. Jay updated his appliances in his kitchen, put in an instant water heater, weatherized most of his house, and installed new ceilings and walls. Jay has an interest in getting an at-home energy assessment done as well!

Gary was well familiar with the tax rebates available through the Inflation Reduction Act. The tax rebate gave Gary the advantage to purchase a new roof and windows for his home. Gary was glad to see the energy savings now campaign swing through his neighborhood to see what other home upgrades he can do within the near future.