Program/s: EmPower+ To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors, Energy Hubs Summary: Audit Only Contractors Contact with Questions:matthew.houle@nyserda.ny.gov
Beginning on January 1, 2027, EmPower+ will only accept complete, comprehensive work scopes for program consideration. After this date, standalone home energy assessments will no longer be accepted.
Additional guidance for Participating EmPower+ Contractors:
A comprehensive work scope can be accomplished by the participating contractor completing the home energy assessment and installing energy efficiency measurements themselves or by working with a sub-contractor to install the energy efficiency measurements.
There should only be one work scope submitted for enrollments. Enrollments should include the home energy assessment and the energy efficiency measurements.
A comprehensive work scope should include one of the following, air sealing, attic wall, rim joist insulation or an upgraded HVAC system.
NYSERDA understands that there are a few situations where a contractor will only complete a home energy assessment; however, this should not be large percentage of a contractor’s overall projects.
Please reach out to Matt Houle with questions or concerns.
Program/s: EmPower+ To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors & Hubs Summary: EmPower+ IRA Changes Questions: support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov
Effective for projects with new work scopes submitted after midnight on August 31, 2026, the EmPower+ program changes, outlined below, will be implemented to accommodate new guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Energy for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) funding. Work scopes submitted on or before August 31, 2026, will follow current program rules.
Incentive Strategy:
Electrification: If a project has a heat pump or heat pump water heater, the program will use Sustainable Futures Program (SFP) funds to cover the heat pump water heater, heat pump, panel box, wiring up grade. SFP incentives can be stacked on top of the current EmPower+ project incentive caps.
Insulation Projects: If a project does not have a heat pump, heat pump water heater, panel box, or wiring upgrade, EmPower+ will continue to offer up to $1,600 HEAR incentives for insulation, air sealing, and ventilation measures. HEAR funding will be applied first and no longer needs to reach an incentive threshold to be applied.
DAC Incentives will no longer be available.
Tier 1 and Tier 3 projects will have the same incentive caps for SFP funded measures, which may be stacked with the standard EmPower+ incentive caps of $12,000/$14,000 for low-income and $6,000/$7,000 for moderate- income households.
HEAR and SFP funding are not available on the same project.
Measure Changes:
The following measures will remain HEAR.
measure
measure code
Air Sealing
AS
Additional Attic Measures
ADDAS
Bath Fan
BFAN
Dryer Vent Repair
DVREPAIR
Ventilation Fans
Vent
Contractor Incentive – Equipment Bonus (Up to $150)
CI_EB
The following measures will be moved to SFP funding after August 31.
measure
measure code
max incentive
HPWH
HPWH
$5000
ASHP
ASHP
$10,000
GSHP
GSHP
$10,000
Panel Box
ESRVU
$5,000
Electrical Wiring Upgrade
KTWU
$2,500
The change in funding from HEAR to SFP, has provided EmPower+ with an opportunity to revisit certain measure incentive caps. The table below provides a breakdown of the IRA incentive caps and the new caps for SFP incentives for work scope submissions received after August 31.
Program/s: EmPower+ and Comfort Home To: Participating Contractors Summary: Resources for Replacing Electric Utility Account Numbers in NYHEP Questions: If there are any questions please email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov
NYSERDA has made resources available to help contractors with updating an electric utility account number in NYHEP. To ensure you understand how to properly update an electric utility account number in NYHEP, please refer to the NY Home Energy Portal Resources page on the Contractor Support website, where you will find step by step instructions and a recording under the Resources section.
Program/s: EmPower+ To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors Summary: Quarterly Certification Audit – Find-A-Contractor Site Questions: support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov
To ensure our records are current, we are conducting a quarterly review of EmPower+ Participating Contractor certifications and service territories. We ask that you take a moment to review your information on the EmPower+ site on behalf of your company, and respond with any changes by August 17th .
“The participating contractor shall provide NYSERDA written documentation identifying each certified individual and copies of their certifications. This is inclusive of staff who will be onsite in a customer’s home and not office staff or other support staff not at project locations. As an ongoing requirement, the participating contractor shall immediately inform the Program of any change to the list of certified staff.”
Project referrals and project assignments are determined in part by a participating contractor’s self-identified service territory. To ensure projects are assigned correctly please review the Find-A-Contractor page and verify your service territory is accurate. For additional information on contractor service territories please refer to section 5.23.5.
If there are any questions or if you need to provide updated certification or service territory information, please contact support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov.
Program/s: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Correct Project Type Selection in NYHEP Contact with Questions: If there are any questions please email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov
Effective August 31, 2026, contractors will be required to select the correct Project Type (Full Comprehensive, Audit Install) in NYHEP that aligns with the work being performed in the home. NYHEP will be enforcing this requirement at Final Project Submission based on the measures selected.
Enrollments with a Full Comprehensive selected for the Project Type with only assessment and direct install measures completed will need to be rolled backed to Workscope Submission and updated.
How to Return an Enrollment from Final Project Submission to Workscope Submission
At Final Project Submission at the top select Outcome = Cancel and Reason = Modify workscope submission. Click Save and Process the enrollment back to Workscope Submission.
How to Adjust Proposed Measures
Project Type selection is adjusted at Workscope Submission >> Applicant Information tab >> Additional Applicant Information section. Select Project Type = Audit Install. The list of measures available adjusts based on the selection.
On the Measures tab, all proposed Full Comprehensive measures will need to be adjusted to a Quantity = 0.
Click on Add Measures and select the completed assessment and direct install measures. The Audit Install measures will end in “_AI”. Upon resubmission, the project will advance directly to Final Project Review.