Energy tax credits go to the home owners...

I try to be conscientious when looking out for a house to rent and ask the right questions. Simple questions, like, how much does it cost to heat & cool this place? Does it have good windows and insulation? Is my thermostat somehow controlled by another tenant?

Unfortunately I, like many renters out there, tend to be largely guided by the monthly rental price of the house/apartment in question. Particularly when you think of the college students and younger peeps looking for a place to call their temporary home, they're not exactly the most discerning. So we end up with rat holes that somehow manage to squeeze by city inspectors and cost a bare minimum to build. Heating and cooling these swiss cheese-like unites can be damn expensive...not only to our wallets, but to nature as well.

A whopping 39% of CO2 emissions in the US can be attributed to the residential and commercial building sector (more than transportation). It's mainly due to the energy needs to heat, cool, and light our buildings. Although we have begun to take steps (or half steps) in creating energy efficiency targets and incentives, who & what are we missing out on? RENTERS!

Landlords have zero incentives to make energy efficient changes in their rental units. Just to list a few, here are the federal tax credits available to primary homeowners, but not renters & their landlords:
* Windows and Doors
* Insulation
* Roofs
* HVACs
* Non-solar Water Heaters
* Biomass Stoves
* Fuel cells
Seriously? The worst windows I've seen aren't in people's primary houses...and the worst electricity bills are payable by the people who can least afford them. The DOE does offer a weatherization program that includes renters, though they have to seek permission from their landlords before applying. It would be interesting to find out how many renters have received assistance...

Even on a local level, my fair City of Lawrence offers a weatherization program that only target primary homeowners! Weatherization programs should target low-income households, where they are most in need.

Any thoughts as to why most federal, state, and local incentives seem to skip renters? Perhaps it's tied to voting?