Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Program Manual

Program Announcements

To: All Comfort Home Contractors
Summary: Program Announcements
Contact with Questions:  Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 or support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov

  1. EmPower+ customers are not eligible for additional air-sealing or insulation through Comfort Home. Comfort Home is designed for market-rate customers, not income-eligible customers. The Program Manual states that “The Comfort Home Pilot has specific goals directed ONLY for market-rate customers. Income-eligible customers are encouraged to seek assistance through EmPower+ program for air-sealing and insulation measures.” The only time that an EmPower+ customer can have a follow-up Comfort Home project is if the walls, attic, basement are all up to code from an EmPower+ project and Comfort Home is used for package C for windows. These projects are eligible for $1,000 if the EmPower+ project was less than a year ago and $2,000 if the EmPower+ project was more than a year ago.
  2. The Comfort Home Program Manual has been updated. The current version is dated October 2025 and is available for download from the Contractor Support Site at https://hpwescontractorsupport.com/program-resources/comfort-home-resources/.

The changes in this version include:

  • Section 2.1 updated minimum requirements for shell/envelope contractors
  • Section 3.2 updated incentive language in first paragraph and Table 1
  • Clarified in section 3.2.1 that packages may only be incentivized once per home.
  • Added section 3.3 Workscope Contract
  • Section 4.2 updated attic insulation R-value to R-40
  • Section 4.2 added clarification on two-part spray foam
  • Added section 4.2.1 to document inaccessibility and project eligibility
  • Section 5.3 added clarification on definition of customer in Customer Utility Release Form
  • Added Table 5 Scenarios for NYHEP enrollments-landlord/tenants
  • Section 9 Contact Information updated Keith Bohling phone number
  • Removed ConEd Westchester Incentive link from Table 7
  • Added Appendix A: Electronic Signature Policy
  • Added Appendix B: Sample Contract and Workscope

Income Verification Updates

Events, Training Opportunities and ConferencesArchive
EmPower+Archive
Residential Energy AssessmentsArchive
Comfort Home PilotArchive
Green Jobs – Green New York Residential FinancingArchive
General AnnouncementsArchive

Programs: EmPower+ 
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Income Verification Updates
Questions: 1-866-NYSMART

Updates to the EmPower+ Income Guidelines have been made and will be effective with the launch of My Energy for EmPower+.

Please review Section 3.6 in the Program Manual in its entirety.

Updates and clarifications include the following:

Address and Income Documentation

  • The address on all proof of income must match the application address
    • If a customer has recently moved, they need to provide either a lease with their name on it, deed, or a driver’s license/non-driver ID listing the application address as their address.
  • If an applicant provides multiple income documents to the Program, NYSERDA will use the most recent for purposes of determining income eligibility.

Full time Students

  • Full time students who are members of the household but who are not dependents of the applicant must list all sources of income. Loans (including student loans) will not be counted as income.
  • For students residing in rental housing, income documentation must be provided (income from student loans is excluded.)
  • Students who can be claimed as a dependent on another’s tax return are not considered part of the household for the rental unit, and any countable income would be counted at their parent/guardian’s home.
  • Households that consist solely of a single full time student occupant with no proof of income may be required to show proof of full-time student status.

If there are any questions, please contact application support at 1-866-NYSERDA.

Energy Education and Project Look Back Updates 

Events, Training Opportunities and ConferencesArchive
EmPower+Archive
Residential Energy AssessmentsArchive
Comfort Home PilotArchive
Green Jobs – Green New York Residential FinancingArchive
General AnnouncementsArchive

Programs: EmPower+  
To: Participating Contractors  
Summary: Energy Education and Project Look Back Updates  
Questions: Reach out to Contractor Support 

Energy Education  

Starting February 1, 2025, NYSERDA will cease to provide an incentive for energy education during the home energy assessment. Instead, NYSERDA will attach a link to the email notice for approved applications on different ways customers can save on their utility bills through actions they can take in their homes. The information is also mailed to potential applicants in the mailing to utility and OTDA referrals.  The ability to claim the measure will be removed from NYHEP on February 1, 2025. This will impact enrollments submitted in NYHEP for Workscope Review for the first time on or after February 1, 2025. 

Project Look back  

Starting February 1, 2025, NYSERDA will reinstitute a project lookback for EmPower+ customers. Customers who have an approved EmPower+ application dated June 1, 2024, or later and completed a project up to Program incentive caps, will be required to wait one year from the NYHEP Funding Allocation date of their project before they can apply again to receive additional funding.   

Contractors with projects that require over the current $5,000/10,000 from standard EmPower+ for moderate and low income incentives and the additional $14,000 from IRA funding (especially those requiring whole home insulation) are encouraged to submit their whole-home work scopes to NYSERDA for secondary reviews. Projects with an approved EmPower+ Application date prior to February 1, 2025, will be allowed to be completed.  

These updates will be covered as part of the January 10, 2025, Contractor check in call. To register, please click here.  

Participation Agreement Changes

Events, Training Opportunities and ConferencesArchive
EmPower+Archive
Residential Energy AssessmentsArchive
Comfort Home PilotArchive
Green Jobs – Green New York Residential FinancingArchive
General AnnouncementsArchive

Programs: EmPower+ 
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Participation Agreement Changes 
Questions: If there are any questions or you would like to change your participation status send an email to empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov 

The following changes have been made to the Residential Contractor Participation Agreement and are applicable to all current participating contractors. These changes are effective January 1, 2025.   The Participation Agreement will be updated to reflect these changes and can be found in Section 2 of the Program Manual. For existing contractors, no action is required on your part to continue your participation. 

Below is a summary of the PA Updates: 

  • Sections 3.8 and 3.9: Added “The obligations of the Participating Contractor under this Section shall survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement.” 
  • Section 4.4: Removed Post Termination Obligations 
  • Section 7.2: Removed “To the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available for the Program should be American made.” 
  • Added Exhibit A “Standard Terms and Conditions for All NYSERDA Agreements” and Exhibit B “NYSERDA Prompt Payment Policy Statement” 

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 empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov no later than January 20, 2025. 

Project Photo Requirements Update

Events, Training Opportunities and ConferencesArchive
EmPower+Archive
Residential Energy AssessmentsArchive
Comfort Home PilotArchive
Green Jobs – Green New York Residential FinancingArchive
General AnnouncementsArchive

Program/s: EmPower+  
To: Participating Contractors  
Summary: Project Photo Requirements Update  
Questions: Please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.  

Effective for EmPower+ project enrollments accepted by contractors on or after January 1, 2025, all pre and post installation pictures submitted as part of an EmPower+ project will need to be time-stamped and geo-tagged.   

Section 8.2 of the Program Manual will be updated to reflect this change.    

NYSERDA is considering investing in an enterprise subscription with CompanyCam which would enable contractors to produce geo-tagged pictures based on provided templates for program submission. It is intended that this service will be provided to you at no cost and if you are using other software options to create geo-tagged photos, you would not be required to switch to CompanyCam.  
  

If there are any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069.