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Program Announcement

Program Announcements

Program: Comfort Home
To: All Comfort Home Contractors
Summary: Program Announcements
Contact with Questions: Keith Bohling

Details:

  1. Please ask your customer if they’ve participated in another program for weatherization work. Prior participation may lower incentives. Installing Package C (Windows) to a home upgraded in the last year with EmPower+ permits a $1,000 Comfort Home Package C incentive. If that EmPower+ upgrade was over a year ago, the Package C incentive is $2,000.
  2. Customers are eligible for no more than one audit per year. If an audit was delivered through the REA program, then NYSERDA will not pay an incentive for a Comfort Home audit within the same year.
  3. The goal of the assessment is to model the expected project and expected savings. That means that the post-work blower door test “expectation” should be entered. It can be trued up during the installation workflow step, but a best guess should be entered during the Assessment workflow step. The expected post-work blower door test value should be lower than the pre-work value.
  4. NYSERDA is reducing the data collection and data entry requirements for Comfort Home. 30 fields have been removed. This change affects new enrollments immediately. Previously created enrollments that are already in progress will reflect the original field requirements.
  5. A new feature is being added to the Package B functionality: If the improved attic insulation is being installed on the attic roof deck, the Package B will become available and a checkbox to indicate that Package B is being added for attic gable walls will become available. Check that box if the Package B incentive should be applied because attic walls are being insulated and air-sealed.
  6. On the Assessment Report: An issue with % savings on page 1 has been corrected. 
  7. On the Assessment Report: The existing condition stacked bar chart for heating load contributions has been updated to resolve an issue with the ceiling load display. The modeled savings were not previously impacted, this update just resolves a report display issue.
  8. On the Loan ProForma report export: An electric savings calculation issue has been corrected. 
  9. On the Loan ProForma report export: Dollar savings per fuel type is now being calculated and included on the report.

EmPower+ Application Submission Guidance

Program: EmPower+
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: EmPower+ Application Submission Guidance
Contact with Questions: info.residential@nyserda.ny.gov

With the temporary suspension of an EmPower+ contractor’s ability to submit applications on behalf of a customer, the Program would like to remind Participating Contractors that they should only be sending customers to the Hubs when the customer needs specific assistance offered by that Hub. This can include assistance with a specific language translation, if available from the Hub, or technological assistance if the customer wants to submit an online application and does not have access to a computer or is having difficulty navigating the online platform. Participating Contractors can also connect a customer with TRC, through 1-866-NYSERDA, for assistance with completing an EmPower+ Application.

Contractors should not be sending bulk applications to the Hubs to submit on behalf of the contractor. Contractors can provide a customer with a campaign code that tags the contractor in MyEnergy or furnish them with a paper application that the customer can fill out and mail in. If a contractor needs assistance with campaign codes, they can submit an inquiry to TRC through info.residential@nyserda.ny.gov.

Campaign Codes will be covered in the September Home Modernization Webinar, if you wish to attend, please register here.

If you have any questions, please contact info.residential@nyserda.ny.gov.

Heating Measures and GJGNY Loans and Heating Repair

Program: EmPower+
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: Heating Measures and GJGNY Loans and Heating Repair
Contact with Questions: Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 or email at support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov 

Financing Heating Systems

With the ending of EmPower+ incentives for fossil fuel heating equipment, EmPower+ will be adding two new measures in NYHEP to allow for the financing of furnaces/boilers through Green Jobs Green New York (GJGNY):​

  • Furnace Finance Only (FRNC_FO)​
  • Boiler Finance Only (BOIL_FO)​

These measures are to be used only when a contractor submits the measure for a loan through GJGNY. The measures will not receive EmPower+ incentives.

Heating and Hot Water Heater Repairs

Heating system and domestic hot water heating repairs will continue to be an eligible health and safety measure through EmPower+. If the total of all Health and Safety measures are greater than 30% of the project total, the cost of health and safety will count towards project level cost effectiveness.

When entering a heating or hot water heater repair, contractors will be required to list the issue and itemized costs in the notes section. An example of an acceptable note is provided below:

  • Furnace turns on and off. Home will not maintain temperature. New limit switch $150, New inducer motor $300

Per existing program requirements, the maximum incentive for heating system and domestic hot water heating repairs is $500 for low income and $250 for moderate income. 

The program is currently working with OTDA on a plan for working with low-income customers with no-heat situations during heating season. 

The above topics were covered on the August 1, 2025, Home Modernization monthly webinar which can be referenced here.

If you have any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 800- 284–9069 or email at support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov. 

WAP EmPower+ Application Submissions

Program: EmPower+
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: WAP EmPower+ Application Submissions
Contact with Questions: info.residential@nyserda.ny.gov

Effective August 1, 2025, participating contractors are no longer able to submit applications to the program on behalf of a customer. This will remain in effect through the end of 2025.

During this time, Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) contractors participating in the EmPower+ Program can still use the combined Weatherization and EmPower+ paper application and submit it to the program. A copy of the combined EmPower+ WAP application can be found in Section 3.2a of the Program Manual. This was covered on the August 1, 2025, Home Modernization monthly webinar which can be referenced here.

NYSERDA is coordinating a MyEnergy training for WAP contractors at the times listed below. Please register using the links provided if you are interested in attending:

Session 1 – August 21, 2025, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. ET – Register here.
Session 2 – August 28, 2025, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET – Register here.

KEDNY / KEDLI Weatherization Health & Safety (WH&S) Introduction

Program/s: EmPower+ and WH&S
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and WH&S Contractors
Summary: KEDNY / KEDLI Weatherization Health & Safety (WH&S) Introduction
Contact: Please reach out to Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 with any questions

KEDNY / KEDLI Weatherization Health & Safety (WH&S) Introduction
Thursday, August 28th, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET

This webinar is an overview of the upcoming KEDNY / KEDLI Weatherization Health & Safety (WH&S) Pilot for Interested Contractors. All attendees must register prior to joining the event. This process will allow you to add the meeting to your calendar and provides each individual with a custom link to join the meeting. Please do not share the link with anyone. To register, please click here.