Program Announcements for August 2026

Program/s: EmPower+, Virtual Energy Assessments, Comfort Home
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: Monthly Contractor Update
Contact with Questions: residential.programs@nyserda.ny.gov

August

NYSERDA Home Modernization Monthly Contractor Webinar
Friday, August 7, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET

Webinar number: 2531 150 2275
Password: Energy1

September

NYSERDA Home Modernization Monthly Contractor Webinar
Friday, September 4, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET  

Webinar number: 2539 779 4095
Password: Energy1

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 your link with anyone. To register for the series, please click here.

All webinars are recorded and links to the recordings are available on the Contractor Support site. 

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 17^th .

Per Section 5.5 of the Program Manual:

“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+ 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. 

If there are any questions, please email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov

Program/s: EmPower+  
To: Participating Contractors  
Summary: Residential Email Inbox Reminder 
Questions: If there are any questions please email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov  

This is a reminder that the empower.residential@nyserda.ny.gov and applications.residential@nyserda.ny.gov inboxes have been retired and are not monitored by program staff. Please remove these addresses from your contacts.  Application related inquiries should be sent to info.residential@nyserda.ny.gov and project related inquiries to support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov.  

Program/s: EmPower+
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: Federal Program Rule Changes
Questions: If there are any questions email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov  

NYSERDA is carefully reviewing the federal actions that impact our work. The EmPower+ team will provide updates regarding any changes to the program as soon as they become available.

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.

If there are any questions, please reach out to contractor support to support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov or (800)- 284-9069. 

Program/s: Comfort Home
To: Comfort Home Participating Contractors
Summary: Con Edison customers in Westchester County participating in Comfort Home will be eligible for a $2,000 incentive in NYHEP.
Questions:  support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov 

Con Edison is closing out the Weather Ready Program due to funding limitations. As a result, NYSERDA will now offer a Con Edison Weather Ready Incentive in Westchester County which will be available in NYHEP from August 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026.

• Con Edison customers in Westchester County participating in Comfort Home will be eligible for the $2,000 incentive.​
• Non Con Edison customers in Westchester County participating in Comfort Home will continue to be eligible for the $1,000 incentive.

All projects submitted for the Westchester bonus incentive will be cross referenced with previously submitted projects to avoid double dipping.

Incentives will be available to ALL contractors enrolled in Comfort Home.

For assistance please email support.residential@nyserda.ny.gov 
Participating contractors can reach out to Con Edison directly for questions related to the Weather Ready Program.