PROGRAM NOTES

Planning for the summer picnic and any business of importance.

COVNA still has no President or Vice-President. If willing to serve, contact any officer listed above. Only a relatively few members have been doing the work to keep COVNA the neighborhood we know and cherish.

Maybe it is your time to step up and serve. The task is not onerous. There are only four business meetings and two parties and much support available from active, experienced members.

Sorry to be repetitive but the need won't go away until the positions are filled.

GET PAID FOR
SAVING ENERGY

Beginning in 2009, you can get an income tax credit with a lifetime total cap of $1,500 for installing efficient new windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in your home. The home improvements tax credit applies for improvements “placed in service” from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010. However, efficiency criteria will vary dependant on when these items are "placed in service" (installed). Modifications to the criteria were made on products placed in service after February 17, 2009. The overall $1,500 cap can be reached in several ways with the purchase and installation of energy-efficient products that meet certain efficiency criteria:

Windows, doors, insulation, and roofs must be expected to last at least five years (a two-year warranty is sufficient to demonstrate this). Manufacturers can certify (in packaging or on the company’s web site) which of their products qualify for the tax credit. Retailers, contractors, and manufacturers should be able to help you determine what qualifies.

The tax credit amount is now 30 percent of the cost of the measures, including installation costs for heating and cooling equipment, but only product costs for windows, insulation, and other parts of the building “shell.” There is a total lifetime cap on the credit amount of $1,500; thus the credit applies to up to $5,000 in total qualifying costs.

You will need to file IRS Form 5695 with your taxes. You will need to keep receipts proving that you purchased the improvements and a copy of the manufacturer’s certification.

Rebates and low interest loans are also available locally through Austin Energy. Homes more than ten years old benefit from energy analysis. Making recommended improvements can help you reduce electric bills and increase comfort. Contact a participating company for a home energy analysis.

A Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Rebate covers up to 20% of the cost of certain improvements—up to $1575. The city offers rebates on these improvements:

Check out details through the links at:
www.austinenergy.com/energy Efficiency/Programs/Rebates/Residential/Home Performance with Energy Star/index.htm. Also check out the low interest loans available for improvements through the links under “Related Content”.

EDITOR'S CORNER

Spring is truly in full swing. All the trees have leafed out completely around the neighborhood except the early to fall, late to return leaves of the pecan. Where the sun can peek around the trees, flowers are blooming profusely. Our recently planted Bur and Chinquapin Oaks have finally leafed out well but surprisingly the Mesquite is still nearly leafless.

Our son has been swept up by the spirit of spring. After threatening to do so for years, he has put in a modest vegetable garden and started Sweet Pea and Morning Glory vines on the small section of chain link fence. He was even spotted weeding his garden. It’s hard to resist the spirit of the season.