Homeowners can claim federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements made in 2015 and 2016, thanks to an extension of the Residential Energy Tax Credit. The credit covers 10% of the materials cost of certain improvements, up to $500. The credit had previously expired at the end of 2014, but a late-December budget deal extended it both retroactively and forward till the end of 2016.

Yesterday, Efficiency Maine’s board voted unanimously to adopt a new 3-year plan and budget, which will save consumers more than $870 million on energy bills over the lifetime of the efficiency measures. The plan now goes to the Public Utilities Commission for a formal review, expected to take at least four months, before it can be implemented.