Big home renovation rebates available for Wisconsin homeowners
NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — It sounds almost too good to be true: locals are saving thousands and thousands on home updates — especially in western Wisconsin.
It's cold outside Marilyn Murphy's New Richmond home, but warm inside as she sits down to a cup of coffee.
"Thinking about how nice it is just to be home," Murphy said.
It's a 1960s home that, Murphy admits, needs some work.
"It's a fixer-upper so I am doing it all I can," Murphy said.
She bought it for the basement rental income potential.
"I've seen the door so I just made an offer right away," she said.
What she didn't see right away was that the entire home needed to be insulated. Her brother told her to call Aaron Riendeau, owner of St. Croix Energy Solutions, who had a hot tip: free money is available.
By filling out a five-minute form, homeowners have access to rebates worth up to $10,000 for certain home updates.
It's part of the Inflation Reduction Act that is just kicking in.
"Wisconsin's a little bit ahead of the game, they have their programs out right now," Riendeau said. "Minnesota is six, eight months behind."
St. Croix Energy Solutions re-insulated Murphy's home top to bottom, and the numbers are eye-popping. She paid only $116 for the nearly $13,000 of work.
She filled out one form on the Focus on Energy website and Riendeau handled the rest.
"There is money, it's available, and just looking for the customers to do it," Riendeau said.
Murph is also eligible for $8,000 more to update her heating system.
"People are skeptical, but this is real," Murphy said. "It's real and it came true for me."
There is also some money up for grabs in Minnesota, with utility rebates and tax credits through Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy.
