Groups: 'Home Star' needs some work
The coalition says the way rebates would be paid
favor deep-pocketed large companies over small contractors.
The Senate’s “Home Star” energy-efficiency bill is a good start, but a coalition says it’s far from a home run for small contracting businesses.
A group called Small Businesses for Job Growth in Energy Efficiency, which includes the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, the Green Mechanical Council and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association, are urging senators to rework the legislation. The groups co-signed a letter to U.S. Senate leadership that raised concerns about the Senate bill’s rebate structure and its “gold star” certification for contractors.
The coalition says the way rebates would be paid favor deep-pocketed large companies over small contractors by requiring installers to cover some costs while waiting for reimbursement from a “rebate aggregator.” Few small companies can afford such a burden, the coalition said.
"While the current version of the legislation 'requires' the contractor to be paid within 30 days, the clock does not begin ticking until the project is complete, not when the project has been bid or the materials purchased," the associations wrote in the letter, adding that the House-passed bill has rebates paid directly to homeowners.
The coalition also said it was very concerned that only contractors accredited by the Building Performance Institute could be eligible to be part of the “gold star” portion of the program.
The full letter is at this website.
The Senate’s “Home Star” energy-efficiency bill is a good start, but a coalition says it’s far from a home run for small contracting businesses.
A group called Small Businesses for Job Growth in Energy Efficiency, which includes the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, the Green Mechanical Council and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Association, are urging senators to rework the legislation. The groups co-signed a letter to U.S. Senate leadership that raised concerns about the Senate bill’s rebate structure and its “gold star” certification for contractors.
The coalition says the way rebates would be paid favor deep-pocketed large companies over small contractors by requiring installers to cover some costs while waiting for reimbursement from a “rebate aggregator.” Few small companies can afford such a burden, the coalition said.
"While the current version of the legislation 'requires' the contractor to be paid within 30 days, the clock does not begin ticking until the project is complete, not when the project has been bid or the materials purchased," the associations wrote in the letter, adding that the House-passed bill has rebates paid directly to homeowners.
The coalition also said it was very concerned that only contractors accredited by the Building Performance Institute could be eligible to be part of the “gold star” portion of the program.
The full letter is at this website.
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