On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed a stimulus bill (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) that made some significant changes to the energy efficiency tax credits. The highlights are:

• The tax credits that were previously effective for 2009, have been extended to 2010 as well.
• The tax credit has been raised from 10% to 30%.
• The tax credits that were for a specific dollar amount (ex $300 for a CAC), have been converted to 30% of the cost.
• The maximum credit has been raised from $500 to $1500 for the two years (2009–2010). However, some improvements such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and solar panels are not subject to the $1,500 maximum.
• The $200 cap on windows has been removed.

Tax credits are now available for home improvements:

• must be “placed in service” from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010
• must be for taxpayers principal residence
• maximum amount is $1,500 in 2009 & 2010 for most home improvements (geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, solar panels, fuel cells, and windmills are not subject to this cap)
• for record keeping, save your receipts and the Manufacturer Certification Statement, OR for windows, you can save the ENERGY STAR label from your new windows
• improvements made in 2009 will be claimed on your 2009 taxes (filed by April 15, 2010) — use IRS Tax Form 5695 (2009 version) — it will be available late 2009 or early 2010