OAKLEY — As California’s drought drags on, eligible retrofits give homeowners a fast, affordable way to lower their water bill and conserve water with products ranging from high-efficiency toilets to drought-tolerant landscaping. The cities of Oakley and Brentwood will be the first in East County to offer a program that provides low-cost loans for property renovations for water as well as energy use reductions.
The program, called HERO/PACE, offers tax-deductible, low-interest financing to help residents install solar, water-saving technology and more. HERO, or Home Energy Renovation Opportunity, and PACE, Property Assessed Clean Energy, is a state low-financing program that helps homeowners with renovations that specifically conserve energy and water.
In total five Contra Costa County communities, including San Pablo, San Ramon and Walnut Creek signed up to offer the HERO/PACE program last week. (Pittsburg and Antioch are already on track to do the same.)