Household-retrofit expenditures and the federal residential energy-conservation tax credit

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5231116

Hirst, E; Goeltz, R; Manning, H

The Energy Tax Act of 1978 established a program of federal tax credits for household investments in certain energy conservation equipment (e.g., insulation, storm windows and doors, clock thermostats). The credit for such conservation equipment is 15% of the first $2000 spent ($300 maximum credit). Internal Revenue Service data for 1978, 1979, and 1980 show that a total of more than 15 million returns (5.5% of the total) claimed expenditures of $9.5 billion (1978-$) on residential retrofit measures eligible for the credit. State-level data on reported expenditures, household fuel costs, household income, heating degree days, population density, and the existence of state conservation tax credits and/or deductions were assembled for the three years. Regression equations were developed to explain variations in reported retrofit expenditures as functions of these explanatory variable plus dummy variables for the years 1979 and 1980. These equations explain roughly 75% of the variation in reported expenditures across years and states.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5231116
• Report Number(s): ORNL/CON-95; ON: DE82018572
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
BUILDINGS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DEGREE DAYS
DOORS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
ENERGY TAX ACT
EQUATIONS
EQUIPMENT
FUEL CONSUMPTION
HEATING LOAD
HOUSES
INCOME
LAWS
MATHEMATICS
NATIONAL ENERGY ACT
OPENINGS
POPULATION DENSITY
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
RETROFITTING
STATISTICS
STORM DOORS
STORM WINDOWS
TAX CREDITS
THERMAL INSULATION
THERMOSTATS
WINDOWS