Home Performance with Energy Star High Efficiency Measure Incentive (HEMI)

Summary

The New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) offers an incentive to certain homeowners of 1-4 homes that participate in the Home Performance with Energy Star program. The program entitles the participant to a rebate of 10% of the cost of qualified high-efficiency Home Performance improvement measures up to a maximum of $3,000. The incentive may be combined with financing offered through the Green Jobs-Green New York (GJGNY) Financing Program. Customer and measure eligibility for the up-front High Efficiency Measure Incentive (HEMI) is slightly different than that for other Home Performance incentives (e.g., the GJGNY financing program). In terms of improvement eligibility, the HEMI is not available for some measures, including solar water heating, geothermal heat pumps, and wood pellet stoves. With respect to customer eligibility, it is available only to electric and gas customer's of the state's major investor-owned utilities (IOUs), gas customers of National Grid Long Island, and statewide for oil and propane customers. Please see the NYSERDA List of Eligible Measures and Accessories on the program web site for further details.

To initiate the program, a Comprehensive Home Assessment (CHA) must be performed by an approved Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified contractor, which may cost a small fee. In many cases the customer will be eligible for a reduced or no-cost home assessment based in part on their income level. After the CHA is performed, the borrower will work with the contractor to decide what improvements should be made. The list of possible improvements varies from home to home, but could include a variety of HVAC measures, improved sealing and insulation, appliance replacements, and lighting upgrades. For any improvements and replacement appliances, the borrower will sign a customer contract defining the improvements that will be made, costs, and payment terms. Following completion of the work, a Certificate of Completion will be sent to the program administrator for review and approval prior to the issuance of an incentive payment.

For further information on this program, please consult the program website or use the contact information provided below.