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Missoula County opens Home Upgrade Hub to help residents plan energy- and health-focused home retrofits
Summary
Missoula County’s new Home Upgrade Hub will offer DIY assessments, retrofit planning, rebate and tax-credit guidance, and contractor referrals for residents seeking energy-efficiency and electrification upgrades, staff said at a Bonner Community Council meeting.
Callie Foster, Missoula County’s home resiliency educator, introduced the Home Upgrade Hub at the Bonner Community Council meeting, describing it as a one-stop resource for residents seeking guidance on energy-efficiency retrofits, electrification and resilient landscaping.
"We're Missoula County's resource for healthy and efficient homes," Foster said, describing services that include a DIY home assessment tool, retrofit project planning, help accessing rebates and tax credits, and an installer/contractor referral list.
Foster said the hub will provide customized whole-home prescriptions because "everyone's home is unique," and stressed that the hub is not selling products or services but giving science-based information.
She said common, lower-cost measures include air sealing, insulation and duct sealing, while higher-cost measures include heat-pump water heaters, air-source heat pumps, panel upgrades, induction stovetops and solar arrays. Foster recommended sequencing projects: assess first, then air-seal and insulate before installing new appliances or solar.
Foster walked through federal and local incentives that residents can stack. She described federal tax credits covering 30% of qualified expenses for many items, and noted that some credits require tax liability. Locally, she cited rebates from Missoula Electric Co-op and Northwestern Energy and a Missoula city/county rebate for heat-pump water heaters ($500 plus a $75 satisfaction rebate) that can be stacked with other incentives.
Foster outlined other local programs: the Montana Weatherization Assistance Program and Energy Share of Montana for energy emergencies. She said the hub is coordinating with Climate Smart Missoula and local utilities and listed NeighborWorks and the Human Resource Council as partners for manufactured-home work.
Foster said initial hub services launched Feb. 20 and that residents can email or visit the office on the second floor of the Jerry Marks Exploration Center at the fairgrounds. She left business cards and printed DIY assessment tools with meeting attendees.
Questions from the council covered funding stability and applicability to mobile homes. Foster said federal funding has been paused but the hub also has county support and will continue operating while staff seek restored federal funds. She said the hub has partners experienced with mobile- and manufactured-home retrofits and can refer residents.
The presentation included practical advice for residents: collect 12 months of energy bills for an assessment, get multiple contractor bids, and prioritize sealing and insulation before high-cost measures.
The hub’s contact information and web resources were given to the council for follow-up and referral.
