In another two weeks, it’s going to be easier, and a fair bit cheaper, to save electricity and take a little off your utility bill.

On April 19, the Governor’s Energy Office is launching a new set of rebates on energy-efficient appliances and energy-saving home improvements. It will also launch a new Web site with energy efficiency and rebate information.

“It’s a one-stop shop where people can get all of the information they need,” said Tom Plant, executive directorof the Governor’s Energy Office, who was in Colorado Springs on Monday promoting the new program.

The $18 million program, dubbed Recharge Colorado, is being paid for from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Earlier ARRA funds were aimed at immediate needs, Plant said, whereas the rebates are designed to give the economy a boost as things begin to turn around.

The rebates include energy-efficient appliances such as clothes washers ($75 rebate), dishwashers ($50) and tankless water heaters ($300), plus services like home energy audits (up to $100) and home solar and wind power systems (up to 30 percent of the system cost). The GEO plans to award about 75,000 rebates in all.

The rebate on washing machines is likely to be the hot item, said Colorado Springs Utilities spokesman Gabriel Romero, because the Recharge Colorado $75 rebate can be matched with another $75 from Utilities.

On April 19, the Governor’s Energy Office will begin offering rebates on energy-efficient appliances and energy-efficiency improvements. Here’s a sample of the rebates that will be available:

Clothes washer — $75
Dishwasher — $50
Refrigerators — Up to $100
Furnaces — $500
Hot water heaters — $200-$300
Insulation and air sealing — Up to $400
Duct sealing — Up to $75
Whole house energy audit — Up to $100

For more information, go to colorado.gov/energy. A new Web site and a call center will be available on April 19. Once the program launches, consumers need to reserve a rebate before they buy the product or service. The rebates are not retroactive.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The government is expected to unveil a new program in the next couple of months that if approved may reimburse homeowners for up to half the cost of making their homes more efficient, but don’t start shopping for new kitchens just yet.

Homeowners will get the most return for the money in simple upgrades like caulking the windows, putting insulation in the attic, and changing the light bulbs – not new windows, refrigerators or dishwashers.

The average American home wastes a lot of energy.

A complete energy retrofit – which could include caulking and insulation as well as new windows, appliances and boiler, could slice a home’s energy consumption in half, according to Lane Burt, manager of building energy policy at Natural Resources Defense Council.

But getting all that work done might run into the tens of thousands of dollars. And any new federal program – which is still being drafted and is not guaranteed to become law – would cap the government reimbursements at $12,000, said Burt.

Homeowners need not despair. There are some simple improvements that are relatively cheap and can pay for themselves quickly.

What to look for

Experts say there are a few things to look for when getting an energy audit and retrofit work done.

First, find a contractor licensed by the Building Performance Institute or the Residential Energy Services Network. These contractors have been trained to first test a home and see how much energy it is losing, then make renovations on all the systems in the building.

As of now there are no incentives in the proposed program for do-it-yourselfers. That’s partly because the program is designed to create jobs by putting out-of-work contractors back on the job. But it’s also done to ensure the work is done right – a house that’s sealed up too tight could rot from mold or trap too much carbon monoxide.

Second, hire an energy contractor using the same diligence you would with any other contractor. Call around for price quotes and check references. If you have any problems report them to your state’s attorney general.

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BALTIMORE — Baltimore has launched a pilot program that will encourage residents in nine neighborhoods to reduce power usage.

The Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge will operate for nine months, spreading the word about energy efficiency through neighbor-to-neighbor contact. It is in partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation, a group that helps businesses and donors plan charitable work.

The goal of the program, launched Wednesday, is to cut electricity use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Baltimore 15 percent by 2015. That is similar to Maryland’s EmPower Maryland goals.

Through the city’s pilot program, neighborhood “captains” will recruit volunteers to educate the neighborhood on how to reduce energy use. Civic Works, Baltimore’s job-training section of AmeriCorps, will teach the volunteers how to reach out to their neighbors.

Households that take part will get free or subsidized energy saving kits, and a free BGE home energy audit. Those households will sign a waiver allowing BGE to calculate their energy consumption before, during and after the pilot program to measure its effectiveness.

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