Southern Tier homeowner saves money through energy program

At a March 8 morning press conference, local Town of Maine homeowner Olga Ehret gave testimony on how the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program helped her access free money grants and low-interest loans, allowing her to upgrade her home’s energy efficiency lowering her utility bills. 

According to Olga, the added comfort and warmth of the house was a major improvement. Olga stated, “It is old, cold. Without the work done, it’s drafty. Before we had insulation put in our home, we couldn’t get the house temperature above 50 degrees. Now it’s 70, which is great since we have two small children.” But she also saw a significant savings too. After having insulation work done through the program, the Ehret’s heating bills dropped by over $1,000. This difference in energy savings covers their $540 yearly loan debt, and the Ehrets will now pocket $490 this year. 

The press conference featured several speakers, including Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Christopher Whalen of Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo’s office and Town of Maine Supervisor Jim Tokos, among others. 

Jason Garnar praised the program, calling it “the county’s best kept secret.” According to Garnar, who has spoken about the program previously, the program allows homeowners to save substantially; they are able to keep this money in their pocket instead of spending it on utility bills. 

Jim Tokos, Town of Maine Supervisor, stated, “I too live in a home from 1870 and this is a good program that could benefit Town of Maine homeowners.” 

Brad Pacalis, Southern Tier regional director of the program who organized the event, pointed out, “It’s easy to overlook the basics, but doing so means drafty homes and money lost. Our area is full of older homes like Olga’s, and by having these essential upgrades, homeowners can see significant savings and living environment improvements just like Olga did. 

This program is available to eligible residents in all eight counties of the Southern Tier to include Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Otsego, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins. 

The March 8 event promoted awareness of the availability of free energy assessments and energy efficiency grants of up to $4,000, for single-family homes, and up to $8,000, for two- to- four-family homes, through NYSERDA. 

To apply for the program, homeowners can call (607) 723-0110 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday), e-mail to bpacalis@ppefny.org, or sign-up online by going to www.tinyurl.com/AuditApplication.