Program Announcements from 5/9/2025 to 5/22/2025

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home 
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Monthly Contractor Update 
Contact with Questions: [email protected]  

NYSERDA Home Modernization Update  
Friday, June 6, 2025 
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. ET 
Webinar number: 2537 140 9396
Event 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, please click here. 

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

Program/s: Comfort Home 
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Comfort Home NYHEP Introduction and Training Session Materials 
Contact with Questions: Please contact Contractor Support with any questions on how to access the Webinar materials. 

NYSERDA recently completed a series of Comfort Home training courses for Participating Contractors as the Program migrated to the NYHEP Portal. The webinar recording and slides are now available on the Contractor Support website and the Comfort Home SharePoint.

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: NYHEP General Queue Management Training Session
Contact with Questions: Please contact Contractor Support with any questions on how to access the Webinar materials. 

NYSERDA is hosting a series of NYHEP training courses for Participating Contractors. These trainings will cover searching for projects, placing enrollments on hold, and techniques for general queue management. All attendees must register prior to joining the event. A recording of the training will be available on the Contractor Support website after the training.

Scheduled Dates:

Friday, May 16th at 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM EST (Register here)

Friday, May 30th at 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM EST (Register here)

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home
To: Participating Contractors 
Summary: Training Videos – Installing a Cold-Climate Air Source Heat Pump
Contact with Questions: [email protected]

NYSERDA is pleased to announce a new series of videos and a supplementary course created in collaboration with industry experts at Steven Winter Associates (SWA). For new learners or as a refresher, these videos demonstrate the critical steps for a top-quality installation of a cold-climate air source heat pump for good performance and happy customers.

The stand-alone videos and accompanying course take a close look at the installation of an inverter-driven cold-climate air source heat pump in a New York home, with a deeper dive course offered through the SWA Academy, free to New Yorkers. The videos in the series run 2-5 minutes each and can easily be viewed on a desktop or mobile device in the office or in the field and focus on the key installation steps below:

1. Planning
2. Installing the Indoor Unit
3. Installing the Outdoor Unit
4. Line Set Covers
5. Condensate
6. Line Sets
7. Flare Connections
8. Pressure Testing
9. Evacuation
10. Charging
11. Electrical
12. Startup
13. Odds and Ends
14. Handoff

There are two ways to watch:

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: NYSERDA Participating Contractor Heat Pump Training Series II
Contact with Questions: [email protected] 

NYSERDA Heat Pump Training Series 
Fridays 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. ET 
To register for the series, please click here.

Please reach out to Contractor Support at 1-800-284-9069 with any questions

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: Closing date for the 2024-2025 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) and Clean and Tune (C&T) Components
Contact with Questions: HEAP Bureau (518) 473-0332 or [email protected]

NYSERDA is forwarding this communication from OTDA regarding the closing date for 2024-2025 HEAP and HERR:

The 2024-2025 Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement (HERR) and Clean and Tune (C&T) benefit components will operate through the close of business (COB), May 9, 2025. Mail-in applications postmarked on or before the closing date meet the deadline and must be processed.

In accordance with instructions found in 24-LCM-15 and the HEAP Manual, all applications for HERR and C&T benefits received after the deadline must be denied using Client Notices System (CNS) denial code M08 “HEAP HERR Denial” for HERR or M14 “HEAP Clean and Tune Denial” for C&T. When using the CNS denial codes, workers should select ‘Other’ as the reason and enter the following explanation: “Application received after program closing date.”

Section 3 – Temporary Assistance (TA) Implications

Individuals seeking help with heating equipment repair or replacement needs when HEAP HERR is not available may have their needs met under Family Assistance (FA), Safety Net Assistance (SNA), Emergency Assistance to Families (EAF) or Emergency Assistance for Adults (EAA) if they apply and are found eligible. Department Regulations 18 NYCRR 352.4, 352.6(e), 352.7(b), 372.4(b) and 397.5(h) allow social services districts (districts) to pay for the repair or replacement of essential heating equipment if the repair or replacement is essential to the health and safety of the household. For more information, see the Temporary Assistance Source Book, Chapter 16, Section C.

Section 4 – Additional Guidance to Districts

Vendors must submit final HERR and C&T bills to districts within 30 business days of services rendered, but no later than September 30, 2025.

Districts must continue to submit their HEAP Pending Case Report in eReports on a weekly basis, as outlined in 24-LCM-15.

Please share this information with alternate certifiers. Questions can be addressed with each district’s HEAP Bureau liaison.

Program/s: EmPower+, Appliance Upgrade (AUP) 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors
Summary: Updates to QMS Inspection Checklist
Contact with Questions: [email protected]

The EmPower+ and Appliance Upgrade Program Quality Assurance (QA) inspection checklists have been updated to include verification that electrical work requiring a permit and inspection by the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) have been completed.

For example, in homes where a panel upgrade was provided the inspectors will be looking for a sticker on the new panel, indicating the equipment has been inspected. Should the AHJ inspection sticker not be affixed to the new electrical equipment at the time of the QA inspection the installing contactor or customer can provide evidence a permit was obtained and the AHJ inspection is pending.

Please note that section 5.15 of the EmPower+ Program Manual includes Permits as an enabling measure.  The updated checklist will be posted in Section 10 of the Program Manual once available.

Sincerely,

The Quality and Market Standards Team

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors
Summary: Quarterly Certification Audit – Find-A-Contractor Site
Contact with Questions: [email protected]

To ensure our records are current, we are conducting a quarterly review of EmPower+ Participating Contractor certifications. 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 May 23.

Per Section 5.2 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.”

If there are any questions or if you need to provide updated certification information, please contact [email protected]. 

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: Income Documentation Reminder
Contact with Questions: [email protected]

A Program reminder for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits and how each impacts EmPower+ eligibility. 

For the purposes of EmPower+ income qualification, if an applicant provides an SSI benefits letter, the household is considered categorically eligible for EmPower+ and no additional income documentation is required. An SSI benefits letter will be from the Social Security Administration and will clearly state what the Supplemental Security Income monthly benefit is.

If a household provides an SSA benefits letter, this encompasses Social Security income from retirement, disability, or survivor benefits. SSA benefits are considered standard income and must be reported along with all other household income before an income eligibility determination can be made.

This was covered on the April 4, 2025 and May 2, 2025, contractor check in webinars, which also provided examples of the award letters for reference.

 If there are any questions on income documentation, please reach out to TRC at [email protected] or call 1-866-NYSERDA.

Program/s: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ and Comfort Home Participating Contractors
Summary: Minimum Production Evaluation
Contact with Questions: [email protected]

Currently, NYSERDA is reviewing EmPower+ and Comfort Home Participating Contractor production numbers for 2024.  To maintain quality services, NYSERDA requires each contractor complete a minimum number of projects each year. Each program’s production requirements are summarized below:

• Comfort Home: Minimum of 12 Comfort Home project completion project annually
• EmPower+:  A minimum of twelve (12) completed projects or at least $100,000 in completed, eligible work through NYSERDA’s residential programs. This can include a combined 12 projects/audit completions through participation in one or more of the following programs:
  • EmPower+
  • Comfort Home
  • NY Sun
  • Residential Energy Assessments

Following review of the production data, NYSERDA will begin outreach to contractors not meeting minimum production requirements on the next steps.

If there are any questions, please contact [email protected].

Program: EmPower+ 
To: EmPower+ Participating Contractors and Hubs
Summary: Income Documentation Access
Contact with Questions: Contract support at (800) 284 – 9069 or email at [email protected] 

As part of NYSERDA’s continued efforts to be good stewards of Personal, Private or Sensitive Information (PPSI), NYSERDA will further restrict access of Income, Categorical and Other Documents used to determine eligibility and submitted as part of the EmPower+ Application process.  Beginning the week of April 21, access to these documents will vary based on the individual that submitted the application and their role required to view the information. Generally:

• Participating Contractors, Clean Energy Hubs, and other partners who submit application documents on behalf of a customer will have access to documentation uploaded to the Income, Categorical, and Other Documents sections up through the application review and approval process.  Once the application review is complete, access to these documents will be restricted. 
• Access to documentation uploaded to the Income, Categorical, and Other Documents sections for applications submitted directly by individual customers will be restricted to only NYSERDA and program implementation staff. 

If you have any questions, please contact Contractor Support at 800-284-9069 or email at [email protected]. 

No Announcements

Program: Comfort Home
To:  All Comfort Home Participating Contractors
Summary:  Comfort Home Incentive Updates Effective 6/1/25
Contact with Questions:   Keith Bohling at [email protected]

• After careful review of program data, customer activity, and forecasts for the remainder of 2025, NYSERDA will be adjusting the Comfort Home incentives effective June 1, 2025.
  
  • The Assessment Fee will increase from $200 to $300 when a blower door test is conducted as part of the assessment. If a blower door test is not completed due to an active fireplace or hazardous materials, the Assessment Fee is $200.
  • The Package A incentive will increase from $1,600 to $2,500.
  • The Package C incentive will decrease from $4,000 to $2,000.

The new incentives will apply for assessments and installations submitted for approval on or after June 1, 2025.  The 30-day prompt submission policy applies.  The customer-signed workscope must match the incentives.

Example:

May 10: Customer signs workscope with $1,600 Package A incentive
June 2: Upgrade installed
June 10: Installation submitted in NYHEP

This job qualifies for the higher Package A incentive!  This installation needs to have a revised work scope customer contract that shows the higher incentive and must be signed by the homeowner and submitted in NYHEP.

After careful review of program activity, current market incentives, and to continue to focus the program’s support on load reduction work, NYSERDA will no longer provide a Comfort Home heat pump incentive effective June 1, 2025.  Heat pump projects submitted by 5:00pm EDT on May 31 will be eligible for current incentives.  Starting June 1, 2025, Comfort Home heat pump projects will not be available in NYHEP.   Heat pump projects submitted by 5pm EDT on May 31 will be reviewed and the incentive paid if all program requirements have been met.

* Only applies for Comfort Home projects in Westchester County that don’t qualify for ConEd’s Weather Ready Program

Program/s: EmPower+, Residential Energy Assessments, Comfort Home 
To: Participating Contractors
Summary: Single Family Residential Transition to Home Modernization
Contact with Questions: [email protected]

NYSERDA is changing the Single-Family Residential team name to Home Modernization. This change is effective immediately; however, NYSERDA will be transitioning away from references to Single Family Residential to Home Modernization over the next few months.  Home Modernization encompasses the following programs:

• EmPower+
• Comfort Home
• Residential Energy Assessments

This notice is for informational purposes only, there is no action required by Participating Contractors.

If there are any questions, please contact [email protected].