The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has retooled tax credits for replacing doors and windows in existing homes with more energy-efficient models by extending the 2009 tax credit through 2010, and raising the maximum amount to be rebated from $500 to $1,500 over the two years.

In addition, tax credits that were for a specific dollar amount have been converted to 30 percent of the cost, according the U.S. Energy Department.

Window World of the Sandhills Owner Wayne Bunting said Richmond County residents have shown a great deal of interest on cashing in on this tax benefit.

“As a matter of fact, we did the Charlotte Home and Garden Show over this last weekend, and we had people from Richmond County approach us and ask us questions about our window products and specifically their energy saving features,” Bunting said.

Window World of the Sandhills in Rockingham has been open for two years, but he said the chain has over 200 stores nationwide.

“About two weeks ago when there was the announcement there would be a tax rebate for energy efficiency, it turned the window replacement industry on its head,” he said. “The greatest thing about it is anybody who purchases a replacement window in 2009 or 2010 qualifies for the rebate, and the way it works is this: you get a cap of $1,500 back or 30 percent of the cost of replacing the windows.”

Bunting explained not every Energy Star-approved window qualifies for the rebate.

He said the first number to look for is the “U-Factor” of the window, which has to be .30 or lower to qualify for the rebate.

The second number to look for is the heat exchange cofficiency, which also has to be equal to or less than .30, he explained.

Bunting said the average home has about 12 windows, and replacing these windows with windows that meet the standards for the tax rebate can save the consumer up to 30 to 35 percent on their monthly energy bills.

He said the cost of purchasing a window that meets the federal energy-efficiency standards from Window World is $279 each and includes installation.

“Just for an example, if someone spends $5,000 replacing the windows in their home, their net cost would be $3,500,” Bunting said. “And the beauty of it is, if you do it now, not only do you get the tax rebate, but you also enjoy the 30 to 35 percent savings on your energy bill throughout the year. So this literally is a purchase that pays for itself over time.”

On the U.S. Department of Energy’s website, www.energystar.gov, it explains stipulations for this tax credit.

The website explains the improvements must be made to an existing home which serves as the taxpayer’s principal residence, and must be installed on a date falling between January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010.