Registration begins for wood stove and fireplace conversion assistance program

LOGAN – Registration for Cache Valley residents will begin early next year for the fireplace or wood stove conversion assistance program.

The Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ), through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, developed a wood smoke reduction incentive program for homeowners to reduce wintertime pollution from wood burning.

The program began last October and will continue into 2020.

Now is a good time to consider switching to a natural gas stove or fireplace insert, according to Joel Karmazyn, an environmental scientist with the UDAQ. He reminds residents that we are into our inversion season and wood smoke is a contributing factor to air pollution.

“A conversion is an expensive process, so we are giving grants that are very financially inducing,” said Karmazyn. “There is funding available for converting from a fireplace to a gas appliance, a wood stove to a gas appliance, or change out an old certified wood stove which we than recycle for a new EPA certified stove.”

The program covers costs depending on income. Low-income households can get 95% of the costs covered, or $3,800. Other households can get 75% of costs covered or $2,800. The money is awarded to a vendor and does not cover remodeling.

“This is a conversion program, not an upgrade program,” stated Karmazyn.

Residents in Cache Valley will be given a time frame to start the first steps of the conversion process. Registration takes place on the following schedule:

  • January 6-9, 2020 at 6 a.m. and ends when 25 awards are registered.
  • March 2-5, 2020 at 6 a.m. and ends when 25 awards are registered.
  • June 2-4, 2020 at 6 a.m. and ends when 25 award are registered.
  • August 11-13, 2020 at 6 a.m. and ends when 25 awards are registered.
  • October 20-22, 2020 at 6 a.m. and ends when 25 awards are registered.

Registration occurs on a first come, first served basis and only requires basic contact information to verify that you live in the targeted areas. Once residency is verified you will be sent an electronic application.

For additional information on the program visit stoves.utah.gov.

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