Kerman launches home improvement finance program

Kerman City Council launched the HERO Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program on Tuesday.

HERO is a financing program that allows for energy- and water-efficiency home improvements to be paid through the property tax bill, with owners repaying the assessment over five to 20 years with tax-deductible interest.

There are numerous water-saving products HERO offers to homeowners, such as high-efficiency toilets, faucets and shower heads, drip irrigation systems, rainwater catchment systems, artificial turf and drought-tolerant landscaping — all ideal for California’s new regulations aiming to reduce urban water use by 25%.

Energy-saving products are also available, such as solar panels and whole-home heating and cooling systems.

Eight other Fresno County communities have launched HERO over the past year, including the Fresno, Clovis, Kingsburg, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger, Selma and the unincorporated areas of the county, with Coalinga set to join them and launch the program this fall.

The program has already saved an estimated 4.5 billion killowatt-hours with its completed projects. The water-efficiency projects HERO has financed will save 790 million gallons of water, or 25 million showers.

HERO’s website is www.HEROProgram.com. More information about the program can also be found by calling (855) 437-6411.

This story was originally published June 16, 2015 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Kerman launches home improvement finance program."