The coalition says the way rebates would be paid
favor deep-pocketed large companies over small contractors.
The Senate’s “Home Star” energy-efficiency bill is a good
start, but a coalition says it’s far from a home run for small contracting
businesses.
A group called Small Businesses for Job Growth in Energy Efficiency,
which includes the Air Conditioning
Contractors of America, the Green Mechanical Council and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National
Association, are urging senators to rework the legislation. The groups co-signed
a letter to U.S. Senate leadership that raised concerns about the Senate bill’s
rebate structure and its “gold star” certification for contractors.
The coalition says the way rebates
would be paid favor deep-pocketed large companies over small contractors by
requiring installers to cover some costs while waiting for reimbursement from a
“rebate aggregator.” Few small companies can afford such a burden, the
coalition said.
"While the current version of the legislation
'requires' the contractor to be paid within 30 days, the clock does not begin
ticking until the project is complete, not when the project has been bid or the
materials purchased," the associations wrote in the letter, adding that
the House-passed bill has rebates paid directly to homeowners.
The coalition also said it was very concerned that only contractors
accredited by the Building Performance Institute could be eligible to be part
of the “gold star” portion of the program.
The full letter is at this website.
