Cash for Caulkers to Revitalize HVAC Industry
It has been a hard couple of years for the HVAC industry. With families struggling to keep jobs and put food on the table, purchasing new HVAC appliances has been low on the list of “must haves.” But this isn’t to say that there are not those doing their best to fix the situation. In fact, in the past two months there has been quite a stir over President Obama’s Homestar program (also referred to as Cash for Caulkers) which would ideally kick-start the lagging construction and contractor markets by giving home- and small business owners tax credits and other incentives for making residences more energy efficient. Check out this New York Times article by David Leonhardt for some of the finer points on how the program would work.
Obama has been quoted saying that a focus on energy efficiency “creates jobs, saves money for families, and reduces the pollution that threatens our environment.” In much the same way that Cash for Clunkers revitalized (at least initially) the automotive industry, supporters of Homestar hope to see a similar effect on industries like HVAC – and at the same time see results in the wallets of Americans. Ideally, those who take full advantage of Cash for Caulkers could see a 20% drop in energy bills.
John Iwanski of the RSES Journal has some concerns on how those in the industry will react when it comes down to making things happen. “Many HVACR and plumbing/mechanical firms have been hard hit by the economic downturn, so suggesting that they may have to put even more investment up front in terms of products to offer customers in order to reap the rewards long-term may be a tough pill for some to swallow,” he writes in his blog.
Cash for Caulkers provides hope for HVAC training graduates
While skeptical of the execution of a Cash for Caulkers program, most critics realize how important this could be for the HVAC industry. Iwanski agrees that it is something “to keep an eye on” in the coming months, and Leonhardt concurs that, while he has reservations, “it clearly has lots of potential.” Perfect or not, Homestar has the ability to create more jobs for those fresh out of HVAC training, easing some concerns that, even with a relevant education, recent graduates might still be at the mercy of a sluggish economy.
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Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!