The Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) announces a new program to help homeowners and businesses convert from old coal to new wood pellet heating. Beginning today the CEDF offers up to $10,000 to Vermonters still heating with coal. The new Coal Change-out Incentive Adder is designed to encourage the few home and business owners in Vermont still using coal for heating to switch to local renewable wood pellet heating.

Andrew Perchlik, Director of the CEDF, said, “We know there are still coal heating systems in Vermont, and that some of these owners are interested in replacing these old polluting systems. We want to help them afford to get these old systems out of their basements. This is part of our effort to transform the State’s heating sector to be cleaner and more supportive of Vermont’s local economy.”

A homeowner that changes-out a coal stove or boiler with an eligible pellet stove or central heating system can receive up to 50% of the cost (or $10,000, whichever is less) paid for by the CEDF, including disposal costs for old coal systems. New pellet heating systems are also eligible for incentives and financing through Efficiency Vermont.

“Our Clean Energy Development Fund continues to develop innovative programs to grow Vermont’s local wood heating sector, which is critical as we seek to lower heating costs while increasing our use of renewable energy,” said June Tierney, Commissioner at the Public Service Department that houses the CEDF.

Commercial customers can receive up to $30,000 for changing a coal heating system to an eligible pellet system.

For information on this incentive go to http://www.rerc-vt.org/coal-change-out.

For information on other incentives available from the CEDF, visit www.rerc-vt.org or https://publicservice.vermont.gov/content/funding-opportunities-projects.

For a complete list of all wood heat related incentives and rebates available in Vermont, visit http://fpr.vermont.gov/incentives.

For more information, please contact: Vermont Public Service Department, Clean Energy Development Fund, Tel: 802-828-4017 Andrew.Perchlik@vermont.gov