NYSERDA - Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

Summary

The Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program provides grants to low-income homeowners in single-family homes and multi-family (2-4) buildings for up to 50% of costs for energy efficient improvements. The household income eligibility cut-off is set at 80% of the area county income. County level income eligibility levels based on household size are available here.

Single-family homeowners that meet the income eligibility guidelines generally qualify for grants of up to $5,000 per project. An income-qualified owner that occupies a unit in a 2-4 unit building can receive a subsidy of up to $5,000 towards the cost of whole-building improvements without any income verification required for the tenants. A higher subsidy, up to a total of $10,000 per building, may be available if tenants also are income eligible. Incentives are reduced if only a portion of the tenants are income eligible (e.g., the maximum incentive is 30% if only two out of four total tenants meet the income requirements). Renters cannot directly apply for the program, but should encourage landlords to participate. The remaining costs of installation and purchase may be covered by low-interest loan options offered by NYSERDA.

After completing the application and receiving approval, homeowners must work with a participating Building Performance Institute (BPI) certified program contractor to schedule a home energy assessment, which takes a whole-house approach to energy efficiency to identify where the biggest energy efficiency gains can be made. Once the assessment is complete, homeowners will work with their contractor to determine which of the recommended improvements make the most sense to pursue.

*One to three story buildings with 5 to 8 individual housing units may qualify as a Special Project.