It's not every day the U.S. Energy Secretary drops by your house to talk about energy rebates.
But Jim Coons was happy to show off his recent home energy improvements.
It was a high-energy day of summer fun for Coons and daughters Vera and Willa, but it's the energy upgrades inside his home that also excite him.
"We've been here over three years now," said Coons. His 1920's Milwaukee home needed some changes.
"We've replaced windows, we've replaced our old furnace with a dual pump system."
Governor Evers and Energy Secretary Granholm dropped by to promote $150 million in energy rebates for Wisconsin homeowners.
That money came from theInflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden two years ago.
Watch: Energy Secretary Granholm touts new home energy rebates in Milwaukee
"So, for example, if you want to weatherize your home, you can get a 30% tax credit," said Sec. Granholm. "If you're below a certain income you can get it all done for free."
How does someone know that they will qualify before they invest in energy upgrades?
"If people go to Focus on Energy, they'll see what they qualify for how to get their home assessed because what we want them to do is get a home assessment," Granholm said.
Focus on Energy is a web page that can help Wisconsin consumers navigate the program. Some rebates are available now - others will come online later this year.
Coons says a home energy audit benefited his decision to make about $10,000 in upgrades.
He was able to take advantage of tax credits and rebates already in place to make energy-efficient changes in his basement.
"It certainly moved the timeline up," said Coons. "On top of that the savings we will see month to month on our energy bills will be a bonus."
He hopes as much as 20% to 30% a month.
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