To the editor:

I’m a fifth-generation Iowa farmer, and I’ve been renovating the home my grandfather and great-grandfather built in 1955. Like others in my community, I recently had a close call with carbon monoxide poisoning. After getting severe headaches and numbness, I knew I had to make a change — I didn’t want gas appliances in my home anymore.

We’ve since electrified the entire house. We rebuilt the kitchen with electric appliances, including an induction stove, replaced our old propane furnace with a heat pump system, and added an EV charger circuit in the garage. Our next step is installing solar panels so we can be more energy independent.

It’s been a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Our heating bill is now under $100 a month — most of that is just meter service fees. And thanks to the 25C Energy Efficiency Tax Credit and 25D Residential Clean Energy Tax Credit, we saved nearly a third of the cost of these upgrades. Without these credits, we might have had to delay or even reconsider doing the work.

Now, I hear that Congress is considering cutting these tax breaks. That would be a mistake. The 25C and 25D tax credits help Iowans like me make our homes safer, more affordable, and more efficient — and they support the contractors and small businesses doing this work.

I hope Congressman Feenstra, Senator Grassley, and Senator Ernst stand up for this policy.

Sam Ose

Blairsburg