Programs: Comfort Home To: All Comfort Home Contractors Summary: Incentive increase effective 7/1/2024 Questions:[email protected] or 888-406-4009
On July 1, 2024, Comfort Home will be launching revised standard package incentives. The incentive updates are meant to help with material price inflation and labor cost increases. The new incentives will apply for assessments and installations submitted for approval on or after July 1, 2024.
The 30-day prompt submission policy applies.
The customer-signed workscope must match the incentives.
Example:
June 10: Customer signs workscope with $1,000 package A incentive
July 2: Upgrade installed
July 10: Installation submitted in Compass
This job qualifies for the new incentive! This installation needs to have a revised workscope that shows the higher incentive and must be signed by the homeowner and submitted in Compass.
Please note that Compass will be offline during a system maintenance window from 7:00am to 8:00am (Eastern) on Monday July 1, 2024.
Programs: EmPower+ To: Participating Contractors Summary: Appliance Vendor Contacts Questions:Contractor Support
The Program wanted to highlight a feature of NYHEP that is available to contractors to surface and provide appliance vendor information in the event a customer reaches out to them directly. This feature is available to enhance customer service by providing timely and accurate information regarding appliance vendors.
Vendor information can be found in NYHEP under Main Menu>Enrollments, entering identifying information in the corresponding field (last name, street address, etc.) and selecting ‘Appliance’ in the Program field before clicking Search.
The vendor’s name can be found in the ‘Installer’ column. If ‘Installer’ is blank, the appliance order has not yet been placed. Results can be further filtered or sorted by Enrollment Status.
Questions: For project related questions, please contact contractor support at 1-800-284-9069.
EmPower+ Program Manual Updates
Along with the launch of the IRA Hear incentives comes an important policy change with heat pumps. Effective June 24, 2024, and in alignment with New York’s priority to ensure energy affordability for low-income households, homes that heat with delivered fuels and electric resistance heating will be prioritized for funding in the initial rollout of IRA HEAR Rebates as they present the most advantageous economic case for conversion to heat pumps. As a result, IRA HEAR heat pump incentives will not initially be available for homes with natural gas as the primary existing heating fuel. NYSERDA will continue to assess this policy and provide updates as indicated by evolving market conditions.
The program team reviewed the updated heat pump rules along with the heat pump submission process during the June 21 Single Family Residential Program webinar. A recording of the webinar and Q&A document will be posted here once available. These changes have been captured as part of Section 5.10 of the Program Manual.
If there are any questions, please contact contractor support at 1-800-284-9069 or submit a case to [email protected].
Programs: EmPower+ To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors, Regional Clean Energy Hubs Summary: Updated Income Limits for EmPower+ Questions: If there are any questions, please call us at 1-866-NYSERDA.
The income limits for EmPower+ have been updated and were effective as of May 13, 2024. This round of updates only impacts the Area Median Income numbers used to determine eligibility for the EmPower+ moderate income incentive. The next round of revisions will take place in the Fall, when the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) income guidelines are updated.
These income limits are based on 2023-2024 State Median Income numbers provided by HEAP and 2024 Area Median Income numbers provided by The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The updated guidelines can be found in Section 3.4 of the Program Manual and on the EmPower+ webpage.
All websites and program materials have been updated to reflect these changes. If you have any questions about these changes, please contact 866-NYSERDA.
Programs: EmPower+ To: Participating Appliance Vendors Summary: Vendor Agreement Changes Questions: If there are any questions or you would like to change your participation status send an email to [email protected]
The following changes have been made to the Appliance Vendor Agreement and are applicable to all current Vendors. These changes became effective June 3, 2024. The Vendor Agreement can be reviewed in full in Section 2 of the Program Manual. For existing Vendors, no action is required on your part to continue your participation.
Should you no longer wish to participate in the Program, or if you have any objection to continuing participation in the Program under these terms and conditions, please provide notice to NYSERDA by emailing [email protected] no later than June 21, 2024.
Section 1. Program Requirements
Language updates were made to the following sections:
The Vendor shall adhere to the incentive cap schedule of as provided in Section 5.5 of the Program Manual . This schedule is subject to change based upon 30-days written notice from the Program.
The new model must be the same size (cubic feet) as the existing model and must be ENERGY STAR®.
All Participating Contractors, Vendors and Subcontractors performing work in association with NYSERDA’s programs are required to comply with the policies and procedures outlined in the New York State Information Classification Policy (NYS-S14-002). In addition, the New York State Information Security Policy (NYS-P03-002) sets forth the minimum requirements, responsibilities, and accepted behaviors to establish and maintain a secure environment to achieve the State’s information security objectives. In general, when corresponding with Program participants, Implementation Contractors, and NYSERDA, use the NYSERDA External Contractor Data Security and Controls Policy to determine the type of Customer information that can be shared based on the platform being used. To minimize the occurrence of incoming emails containing confidential information, please instruct Program participants to redact utility account numbers, social security numbers and bank account numbers if you are requesting documents containing this information. Vendors who fail to comply with the NYSERDA External Contractor Data Security and Controls Policy will be subject to disciplinary action.
The Vendor is familiar with and will comply with NYSERDA’s Code of Conduct for Contractors, Consultants, and Vendors1 with respect to the performance of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the provisions that ensure the appropriate use of public funds by requiring Contractors, Consultants and Vendors to refrain from policy advocacy on behalf of NYSERDA unless explicitly authorized, and in the manner described, under the terms of their Agreement; and to refrain from providing advocacy positions or opinions of their own that could be construed as those of NYSERDA;
Language updates were made to the following sections:
To the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available for the Program should be American-made.
Vendor shall maintain a policy for QA, for resolution of Program participant complaints or disputes, and for response to Program participant emergencies. The policy shall include protocols for a timely response, identification of responsible parties, documentation of corrective actions, results, and a means of identifying and addressing systemic issues. Vendor agrees to make this policy available to NYSERDA or its Program Implementer for review and approval upon request.
