CHARLEVOIX -- Earlier this year, Charlevoix resident Jeff Hilligan hired an energy auditor, hoping to reduce his heating costs and make his house more comfortable.  From the results of the audit, he's now starting to make improvements and is already saving around $850.

The first priority for Hilligan is the attic.  He'll be adding 15 inches of insulation, along with sealing any cracks and crevices.  In addition, the Hilligan house will soon be sporting insulated hot water pipes and energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs.  All of these improvements may sound expensive, but for much of the materials and work, Hilligan won't be spending a dime.

Electrical and Natural Gas providers all around Michigan are offering more and more rebates for energy efficiency improvements.  "We're taking the incentive for the energy audit itself," says Hilligan.  "With the rebate for the insulation, it's almost 100 percent covered."

Energy auditor, Ric Evans, surveyed the Hilligan house in April and is assisting Jeff with finding available incentives.  "Natural gas customers in Michigan have access to the biggest rebates," says Evans,  "If you have a professional audit done, you can have access to $1500 in cash back for weatherization improvements.  Without the audit, you can get $750, which is still a substantial amount.  The thinking is that a professional analysis will help homeowners make better decisions about where to put insulation and how much insulation to install."

On top of cash-back rebates offered by many utilities companies, homeowners can also take advantage of Federal tax incentives, which can save them even more.

Hilligan says he's looking forward to even more savings once he can heat his home more efficiently in the winter.  He plans on comparing this season's bills with last year.  All of the savings will go into an account to pay for future improvements.  "It's really easy to do," says Hilligan.  "We got the kids involved.  We put a quarter in a jar for every lightbulb we changed and told them this is what we're going to save."

To find out how much you can save on improvements, Ric Evans recommends checking with your utilities companies.  "Electrical providers will have things like efficient lightbulbs and low-flow shower heads, while natural gas companies will have the larger rebates available, " says Evans.  "Unfortunately, there isn't a lot out there for propane customers right now."