Last chance for Batavia residents to apply for free home upgrades

Up to 25 Batavia residents will receive a free home energy audit and could receive grant funding for improvements, through the city’s new energy efficiency program.

Batavia’s new Grants for Residential Energy Efficiency in Neighborhoods (GREEN) Program will provide up to 25 residents with a free audit of their home’s energy system and could receive up to $3,000 in grants for eco-friendly upgrades.

The deadline to submit an application is Wednesday. Residents can apply after the deadline to join a waitlist for future energy audits.

Applicants must reside in residential neighborhood homes, be in good standing with the city (no overdue bills or code violations) and meet all eligibility requirements.

Applications can be submitted on the city’s website at bataviail.gov/energyaudit.

Contact information, ownership verification and general information about the home’s energy systems will be required in the application. Renters wishing to participate should have their landlord apply.

GREEN Program participants can apply for upgrade grants after the audit, based on their results. Fifteen participants can apply for $1,000 grants and 10 low-income participants can apply for $3,000 grants.

Grant applications must be submitted within 45 days of receiving the audit.

The energy audit will provide participants with a personalized roadmap for energy savings, regardless of whether grants are pursued.

The GREEN program is funded entirely by the city’s 10-cent single-use bag fee, collected at grocery stores. For each fee collected, the city receives 6 cents to use for green initiatives, and the businesses receive 4 cents.

Since July 2023, the bag fee has generated more than $324,000, which the city reinvested in environmental programs like the GREEN Program.

The bag fee also funds stormwater basin naturalization projects and parkway tree planting.

For more information, contact Batavia@bataviail.gov or call 630-454-2000.