City courts customers with extra incentives

Marianna City Commissioners on Tuesday voted to increase the monetary incentive for residents who will convert from electrically-powered major appliances and go instead on the city’s natural gas system. There are also increased incentives for new construction with a commitment to start out with natural gas rather than electricity for certain appliances.
The higher incentives apply to water heaters, ranges, furnaces, dryers and, for new construction only, to lighting and air conditioning systems.
City staffers say Marianna can likely re-coup the cost of giving the additional incentives within two years of service to the participating customer.
The incentives for range conversion went from $45 to $50; for conversion to traditional gas water heater from $55 to $100; a tankless water heater incentive of $100 was also added to the incentives package; dryer conversion incentive went from $35 to $50; and furnace conversion stayed at $100.
The incentives for new construction in some cases increased more than for conversions.
Installing a tankless water heater earns a $400 incentive for new homes; the traditional water heater incentive went from $200 to $300; range went from $75 to $100; furnace went from $250 to $400; dryer went from $50 to $100; a $100 gas-log heater incentive was added for new construction; the natural gas lighting incentive stayed at $35;  and the natural gas air conditioning incentive stayed at $200. Those last three are not available for existing system replacements.
With electrical rates continuing to rise, and a significant jump likely in the offing early next year, commissioners say they are hoping the incentives will benefit customers as well as the city revenue stream.