State officials have added additional money to a popular program that offers rebates for energy-efficient home improvements.

So far, nearly 700 Maryland residents have been reimbursed through the Maryland Home Performance Rebate Program, exhausting the $1 million in federal stimulus dollars originally redirected to the program in January, according to the Maryland Energy Administration.

Through the program, residents can get a rebate for 35 percent of the costs of qualifying efficiency projects, such as whole-house air sealing, duct replacement or insulation. The total rebate was capped at $3,100, but residents can apply for additional rebates of up to 15 percent of the costs through their utilities.

The average rebate through June was $1,514, according to state energy officials.

Now an additional $500,000 has been added to the program, said MEA spokesman Ian P. Hines. The original $1 million came from stimulus money originally intended for the Clean Energy Economic Development Initiative, but state officials couldn't find an eligible candidate for the grant. The new funds were reallocated from that program as well, Hines said.

Consumers should go to mdhomeperformance.org to find a contractor and determine what improvements they need. To apply for the rebate, go to www.energy.state.md.us/homeperformance. The program will continue until all the additional money has been distributed.

MEA has also partnered with the Maryland Clean Energy Center to offer unsecured loans of up to $20,000 at 6.99 percent to finance improvements.