Dear Friend,

If we want to lower fuel costs and kick our dependence on foreign oil, we have to start at home – literally.

This week, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited our congressional district to announce a new pilot program that will make it easier for homeowners to go green. The PowerSaver loan pilot program will give Long Islanders a way to retrofit their homes and reduce their energy bills. The program will allow certain local lenders to offer homeowners low-cost loans to make energy-saving improvements including the installation of insulation, duct sealing, doors and windows, HVAC systems, water heaters, and solar systems.

Making homes energy efficient is a proven job creator, a money saver, and an emissions reducer. For many homeowners, the only thing standing in their way is the front-end cost – but over time, these improvements will pay for themselves in savings on energy bills.

Check out pictures from the event here (http://israel.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=906&Itemid=120). And for more information on how I'm helping to lower energy costs for Long Island families, visit my website at http://israel.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Steve Israel

Member of Congress