Insulation and Air Sealing (Energy Efficiency)

Do you want your family to be more comfortable in your home, lower your energy bills, and get on the path to a clean energy future? Save money and improve your home’s comfort year-round with NYSERDA’s Home Energy Efficiency Programs. Solve common problems like drafty areas in your home, rooms that are difficult to keep cool in summer, and reduce the occurrence of icicles in winter. Rebates and financing make it easy to invest in a more efficient home now and more affordable clean heating options in the future.
Explore the energy efficiency programs available below and contact us if you have any questions. Sign up with EnergySmart Homes to get connected to our Installer Partners.
Questions? Call 914-242-4725 ext 122 or email EnergySmartHomes@SustainableWestchester.org

What are the benefits?

In the Northeast, most homes benefit from improved insulation, air sealing, weather stripping, and caulking.
It all starts with an assessment with a trained and qualified contractor who will help you identify the energy upgrades that are right for your home, including available rebates and financing.
The assessment provides you with a top-to-bottom look at where your home is wasting energy. You will learn the root cause of any drafts, inconsistent temperatures, heating and cooling system failures, or other problems you may be experiencing.

After the assessment, you will receive a report providing you with valuable information regarding the existing condition of your home, and identifying areas where energy efficiency, comfort and safety improvements can be made.
See Homeowner Success Stories and check out our most recent webinar recordings.

How Does the Process Work?

1

Sign up for EnergySmart HOMES

Get guidance and find out which technologies suit your home. The process is quick and easy.

2

Assess

A EnergySmart HOMES-approved local installer completes an energy assessment of your home, and gives you a detailed report outlining the results and recommendations.

3

Review

Choose the improvements and financing that fit your needs. In many cases, a homeowner’s annual savings meet or exceed the annual loan costs.

4

Upgrade

Your EnergySmart HOMES-approved contractor installs the technologies in your home; you enjoy comfort and cost savings, and we all benefit from your home’s reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

NYSERDA Home Energy Efficiency Programs & Incentives

New York State offers a range of energy efficiency programs for residential buildings.

Comfort Home & Residential Energy Assessment

Free home energy assessment: Your home energy assessment will be conducted by the EnergySmart Homes contractor of your choice, offering an expert analysis on where your home is wasting energy.
Your contractor will perform essential health and safety tests to determine whether the major combustion appliances (furnace, boiler, hot water tank, stove) in your home are operating safely, and check for mold and conditions which contribute to its growth. After the assessment, you will receive a report summarizing the contractor’s findings and recommendations.
Homeowners pay for the cost of services, but incentives and financing are available.

EmPower+

Free home energy assessment
Low interest financing
Increased funding for projects:
- Low-income level: customers at 60% or less of the state median income can receive eligible upgrades at no charge to them
  - You may prequalify if you receive HEAP, SNAP, TANF, SSI, or other forms of government assistance
- Moderate-income level: customers at 80% or less of the area median income can receive a discount that covers 50% of eligible upgrades up to $5,000.
Common measures include: insulation and air sealing; installation of high-efficiency lighting; replacement of old, inefficient household appliances or showerheads.
Contact the EnergySmart Homes team for assistance with the application and contractor selection.

The NYSERDA Energy Efficiency programs are subsidized based on your annual household income. To find which NYSERDA program is best matched to you, see the descriptions below.

Federal Incentives and Rebates

Combining NYSERDA programs with utility incentives and federal tax credits can bring down the cost of your project significantly. See the chart below to discover even more incentives for energy efficiency projects.

Inflation Reduction Act:

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) empowers American households to save thousands of dollars on home energy efficiency upgrades. Learn more here.

Download a simple PDF list of tax credits and point-of-sale rebates, newly offered through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

See Rewiring America’s IRA calculator to see how much money you can get with the Inflation Reduction Act.

Federal Tax Credits

Don’t forget to take your IRS tax credit for energy efficiency projects. Insulation and air sealing materials installed 2023 onwards are eligible for a 30% tax credit up to $1,200. Learn more about these credits on the Department of Energy’s website.

Disclaimer: This does not constitute professional tax advice or other professional financial guidance and may be subject to change. It should not be used as the only source of information when making purchasing decisions, investment decisions, tax decisions, or when executing other binding agreements. Consult a tax professional for questions about how to take advantage of this tax credit.

Financing & Loan Information

This document provides information regarding financing options through NYSERDA for homeowners who are looking to install heat pumps and energy efficiency upgrades in their homes. It includes information on:

On-Bill Recovery Loan
Smart Energy Loan
Renewable Energy Tax Bridge Loan

It also provides information on each loan’s interest rates and the general loan approval criteria for NYSERDA loans.

RESIDENTIAL LOAN INFORMATION

Our EnergySmart Homes Partner Contractors offer additional financing options.

CONTRACTOR LOAN INFORMATION

Work With A Participating Installer

To access the utility rebates and state incentives you must use a Con Ed, NYSEG or NYSERDA participating installer. All of the EnergySmart Homes partner installers participate in these programs, and can assist you with the paperwork to acquire these incentives.

The EnergySmart Homes Installer Partners will find your relevant state and utility rebates using calculations specific to your building and the proposed equipment. Every EnergySmart Homes partner installer has the necessary accreditation, software, and experience to accurately inform you of your true bottom line (included in your proposal). The EnergySmart Homes Team is here to help!