Santa Barbara County’s emPowerSBC program is partnering with the California Center for Sustainable Energy to host the Energy Upgrade California Roadshow, a statewide mobile exhibit on energy efficiency.

The roadshow will be pulling up to CoastHills Federal Credit Union, at 1320 North H St. in Lompoc, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday to educate homeowners on how the Energy Upgrade California and emPowerSBC programs can help increase home energy efficiency, provide energy cost savings and improve home comfort. Homeowners will also get the chance to sign up for an assessment, the first step toward improving their home and receiving rebates and financing.

Energy Upgrade California provides a “whole house” approach that focuses on a house as a system and looks at how various elements affect energy use. The program presents residents with an array of improvements to increase home health, comfort and safety while saving money on their utility bills. Rebates range from $1,000 to $4,000 depending on the energy savings achieved.

The emPowerSBC program provides low-interest financing to offset the upfront cost of home energy upgrade projects. The emPowerSBC Home Upgrade loan offers up to $25,000 in unsecured financing for home energy upgrade projects that meet certain guidelines.

“We are delighted that Santa Barbara County was chosen as a host location for the Statewide Residential Roadshow,” said Angela Hacker, program manager for the County of Santa Barbara’s emPowerSBC program. “Local homeowners may not be aware that programs such as Energy Upgrade California and emPowerSBC are available and can make energy upgrade projects much more affordable. This event gives us a great opportunity to get the word out.”

There will be free refreshments, and guests can enter to win one of two $50 grocery store gift cards.

— Stacy Miller is a publicist representing emPowerSBC.