Georgia Grants for Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters last 20 years, almost twice as long as regular water heaters.

Gas tankless water heaters are 22 percent more energy efficient than gas-fired storage water heaters, according to the website ConsumerReports.org. Nonprofit organizations and local and state government agencies throughout the state of Georgia award grants for purchasing and installing tankless water heaters. These grants are available to Georgia homeowners, churches, schools, community and public facilities as well as faith and community-based organizations.

Home Repair Grants

Homeowners in Marietta, Georgia who need financial assistance replacing their water heaters can apply for minor home improvement grants. Homeowners use grants to address immediate and dangerous problems such as plumbing leaks, heating and cooling systems, broken water heaters and septic systems. Grant amounts for this program range from $5,000 to $7,000 per household. Homeowners in other parts of Georgia should check with their local government agencies for similar grant opportunities.

Weatherization Assistance Programs

Low-income homeowners in the Atlanta area can apply for weatherization services through Southeast Energy Assistance, a nonprofit organization. Funded by federal government grants and private donations, this organization provides weatherization projects--such as installing and replacing tankless water heaters and furnaces, adding weather stripping to doors and windows and insulating floors and walls--to make homes energy efficient. These services are provided free of charge to homeowners whose incomes are below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, as of 2011.

Georgia Interfaith and Light

Churches and faith-based schools and organizations in Georgia can purchase and install energy-efficient, tankless water heaters using energy improvement grants from the nonprofit organization Georgia Interfaith and Light. Recipients receive grants up to $25,000 to fund projects to make their facilities more energy efficient. Other than tankless water heaters, recipients can use grants to install new HVAC systems and windows, as well as insulate walls and ceilings and add weather stripping to doors.

Federal Grants

Federal agencies disperse grants to Georgia's state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to fund programs for tankless water heaters. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds the Community Development Block Grant program, which awards grants to cities and counties with over 50,000 and 200,000 residents, respectively, to cover construction projects, including water heater repairs in residential and non-residential buildings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds grant programs as well. The Very Low-Income Housing Repair Program awards grants up to $7,500 to low-income senior homeowners 62 years of age and older to remove safety and health hazards from their homes. The Housing Preservation Grant program awards funds to low-income homeowners in communities with less than 20,000 residents to replace their water heaters. Individuals must apply to the federal programs' local sponsors for funding.

References

• ConsumerReports.org; Tankless Water Heaters; October 2008
• City of Marietta: Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program
• Southeast Energy Assistance: Weatherization Assistance
• DSIRE: Georgia Interfaith Power and Light - Energy Improvement Grants
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Communities Grants
• USDA: Rural Housing Repair and Rehabilitation Program
• USDA: Housing Preservation Grant