Congress in the process of a comprehensive federal tax reform. All federal tax credits are being reviewed including the 45L credit for new energy efficient homes. Now would be a great time to contact your Congressional representative’s local office and educate them on the services that you provide in their district, the impact that HERS® ratings are making to improve the local economy and the importance of the 45L federal tax credit. It would be great to see if you can schedule an in-person meeting with the staff of your Congressional representative district office. Here’s what you can do: 1. Find your U.S. Congressional Representative: Enter your business zip code at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative and find your Congressional Representative. You can locate their local/regional office by clicking on the logo beneath your Congressional Representative’s photo and in their contact page, click on “Offices” and find the one closest to where you live and work. 2. Call your Congressional representative’s local office and make an appointment to brief them on your company’s activities in your district. 3. Once can schedule an appointment, please consider the following points: • The impact that your company is making on improving the energy efficiency of homes in the district. • Educate them on what a HERS Rating is and how builders in your district are using them. • The importance of the 45L federal tax credit for energy efficient homes. The following are points on the 45L tax credit you could raise: • This tax credit was initially passed in 2005 by a GOP controlled House and Senate and signed by President George W. Bush. Since that time, it has been extended and updated several times, with bi-partisan support. • The credit has proven successful in enabling builders to construct more energy efficient properties that provide homeowners with significant cost savings every month on their utility bills. • As the country grapples with skyrocketing housing costs, it would be counterintuitive to eliminate this initiative that ultimately drives down homeownership costs.
