With her monthly electric bill more than $400 because of her dated air conditioning unit, Deborah Guldenschuh knew it was time for a change.

“It was so old it cost us an arm and a leg to cool the house down,” the Kissimmee resident said.

She soon realized though she couldn’t afford the hefty $10,000 price tag that came with renovating the AC in her 50-year-old home.

That’s when she signed up for the Florida Property Assessed Clean Energy Finance program called PACE.

The program allowed her to finance her new AC. Now she’s paying it off as part of her property tax bill. With this type of financing, it isn’t considered personal debt, so the property tax payments could carry onto the next homeowner.

While she works to pay off this new energy-efficient AC unit, PACE officials said she could simultaneously see a reduction in her energy bill by about 30 percent.

“It’s a way for homeowners to know they are paying a reasonable cost for their repair,” PACE Program Manager Jon Schaefer said.

While she hasn’t gotten her first utility bill yet, Guldenschuh said she’s already reaping the benefits.

“It’s nice to come home to a cool house and it’s nice not have to wait for the AC to cool down,” she said.

The Pace Financing Program has to be approved by your county and/or city before you can use it. The program is not statewide. It was created in an interlocal agreement between county and city governments.

Visit the EVest Florida website for a full list of products.

Participating Counties:

  • Flagler
  • Nassau
  • Gadsden
  • Jefferson
  • Gulf
  • Walton
  • Clay
  • Marion
  • Pasco
  • Jackson
  • Charlotte
  • Osceola
  • Suwanee

Participating Cities:

  • Kissimmee
  • Tamarac
  • Pompano Beach
  • Pembroke Pines
  • Hollywood