Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Backgrounder

Every day you do simple things to take care of your home so your family is safe and your home runs smoothly. Now one of the easiest things you can do is make a telephone call to help reduce your home energy costs up to 40 percent. One call puts you in touch with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®, sponsored by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) as part of its Clean Energy Initiative (CEI) and supported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Not all contractors are the same.  Only contractors accredited by the Building Performance Institute (BPI), a national resource for building science, are part of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. BPI sets the standards for assessing and improving the energy performance of homes. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR helps you find BPI Accredited contractors specializing in heating and cooling equipment, insulation and air sealing, and comprehensive, computerized home analysis. These BPI accredited contractors help make your home as energy efficient, comfortable and safe as possible, while reducing energy costs up to 40 percent. They use the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment to test your home, and then identify and remedy problem areas, including heating and cooling equipment, insulation and air leakage.  Each contractor has taken and passed a rigorous certification test developed and administered by BPI, so you know they can be trusted. They will conduct a comprehensive home assessment and produce a detailed report showing recommended improvements and potential energy savings, then schedule an appointment to make all the improvements at your convenience.  BPI Accredited contractors take a unique, comprehensive approach to home energy usage that looks at your whole house, not just one room or single problem area.

During the comprehensive home assessment, a BPI Accredited contractor examines and tests the “shell” of your home including walls, ceilings, floors and foundation for air loss and proper insulation levels; tests your heating, cooling, and ventilation systems; and makes sure ducts and radiators that distribute your home’s heating or cooling work properly. Best of all, these BPI Accredited contractors, as part of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, can do the necessary improvements in your home to help reduce costs and improve comfort.

It only makes sense to call a BPI Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor to treat your home, whether it’s to have the heating/cooling equipment repaired or replaced, to solve problems with cold and drafty rooms, or to have a full analysis of your home to help lower energy costs and improve comfort. Typical improvements pay for themselves because of increased energy efficiency and reduced energy bills. Participating homeowners have exclusive access to low-interest financing and financial incentives to pay for the energy efficiency work performed.

The most important reason to call a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor is to protect the health of you and your family. Because of the specialized testing equipment they use, the BPI Accredited contractors can detect danger areas that potentially threaten health and safety, such as improperly vented appliances and carbon monoxide infiltration. Plus, using less energy benefits the environment by reducing air pollution and preserving our natural resources.  That’s good news for everyone.

For more information on Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and LIPA’s Clean Energy Initiative visit http://www.lipower.org/efficiency/ or call 1-877-ESTAR-LI (877-378-2754).
Program:        Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®

Description:   The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program is designed to help lower energy costs for Long Islanders; reduce energy demand; create more comfortable, healthy and safe homes; and protect the environment. The program is sponsored by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) as part of its Clean Energy Initiative.

Building Performance Institute (BPI) Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractors provide comprehensive home assessments using the most advanced state-of-the-art equipment to test your home and identify energy efficiency improvements. The assessment evaluates heating and cooling equipment, insulation levels, and air leakage. The BPI Accredited contractor will explain how these problems can be fixed, as well as the cost of making the improvements. The contractor can also make the necessary improvements if you desire and help you secure low-interest loans and financial incentives to help get the work done. 

Benefits:        

• Homes receiving improvements have lower energy use, which reduces the overall cost of operating the home.
• Improved home energy efficiency provides increased durability, greater comfort, and improved indoor air quality.
• BPI Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractors perform comprehensive home assessments to test the performance of the home with respect to health, safety, and energy efficiency.
• Homeowners have exclusive access to low-interest financing to pay for the energy efficiency work performed.

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