As Utah struggles to improve air quality, the state is providing low income residents up to $4,000 to convert a wood burning fireplace to gas. If you have a wood-burning fireplace in your Utah home, you need to know about this program!
Who qualifies for the grant?
You have to own your home in a participating area in order to qualify. You also must have an operational wood burning fireplace or wood stove. The wood stove will be removed by the vendor.
This program is not available to rental or commercial properties. It does not apply to retroactive projects. There is a limit of one grant per household.
What is this program that helps people convert a wood burning fireplace to gas?
This program is administered by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. It is part of a $9 million program authorized by the state legislature.
In 2018, the program launched with $2.7 million in funding. The program oversold within just 12 hours, but they were able to complete 1,800 projects. That’s 1,800 households that were able to convert a wood burning fireplace to gas! This year, the program has more funding and is more organized.
The program has a 100 day timeline. That means it will be roughly 100 days from the date that your eligibility is established to the date that your fireplace is installed.
When can you apply?
The program begins in parts of Salt Lake and Davis Counties. It will expand to other areas of the Wasatch Front through 2020. Application dates are staggered from January to August. You can find the application date for your area here.
Why should you apply?
This conversion will help your household as well as the state. Burning wood and solid fuels damages the air quality in Utah, especially when an inversion sets in. It’s also cleaner and easier to burn gas.
How much will you receive?
The official press release states that homeowners can receive up to $4,000 to assist with the conversion from a wood burning fireplace to a gas one. However, the exact amount will vary depending on your income level.
Low income households will be able to get 95% of the conversion cost covered by the grant. That’s up to $4,000! Other households with higher incomes can receive up to 75% of the cost, which is $2,800.
In both cases, the money is paid directly to the vendor. It does not cover any remodeling or finishing work that may be required.
Where should you apply?
In order to apply, you will need to select the event link from this website on the date that applications are opened. This is a first-come, first-serve program, so you need to apply at 6 AM on the application date.
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Nicole Thelin
Nicole is the founder and lead researcher of Low Income Relief. After a personal experience with poverty and homelessness following her husband's sudden medical discharge from the U.S. Army, Nicole discovered the life-changing impact of community resources. This experience ignited her passion for empowering others to navigate similar crises. Nicole launched her writing career at age 16, working for various newspapers and publications. Her commitment to in-depth research and accessible content has been recognized by Google for Publishers and other industry leaders. For over 20 years, she has applied her investigative skills to uncover the most helpful, up-to-date information on benefits programs and community resources, ensuring Low Income Relief maintains the most extensive resource databases available.