PSE&G Expanding Free Home Energy Audits to Customers in Urban Enterprise Zones
20 November 2009 - 7:13AM
PR Newswire (US)
Residents in 25 municipalities also eligible for free or low-cost
energy conservation measures NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ --
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) today announced
it is offering free home energy audits and free or low-cost energy
conservation measures to eligible customers in the 25 Urban
Enterprise Zone (UEZ) municipalities located in the utility's
service territory. At a Sustainable Jersey panel discussion held at
the New Jersey League of Municipalities' 94th Annual Conference in
Atlantic City, Al Matos, PSE&G's vice president of Renewables
and Energy Solutions, advised mayors and municipal officials that
the utility is expanding its popular residential energy efficiency
programs and encouraged them to spread the word. Until now, the
programs were available to customers in Trenton and Newark. "The
utility is investing nearly $40 million on programs to help
residential customers save energy in their homes," Matos said.
"Customers often shy away from the up front costs of investing in
much needed efficiencies, and today's economy makes such
investments even more difficult. PSE&G is proud of its 106-year
history of providing universal access to electricity and gas, and
we see it as a natural extension of that role to help our customers
enjoy the same access to energy efficiency and renewables." The
home energy audits are part of the utility's Carbon Abatement and
Energy Efficiency Economic Stimulus initiatives approved by the New
Jersey Board of Public Utilities to boost the economy, help
customers save energy and money and create "green" jobs. PSE&G
has begun sending letters to eligible homeowners encouraging them
to register for the program. Tenants may apply for audits as well,
provided they have their landlord's permission. Under the
residential initiative, customers who qualify will be offered a
three-step program to boost their homes' energy efficiency. The
first two steps are free and include an in-home energy audit, a
blower-door test to identify air leaks around the home, an
appliance safety test, a programmable thermostat and eight hours of
weatherization including caulking, door sweeps, and attic air
sealing. Incentives, based on income, are available in the third
step of the program for the installation of additional energy
efficiency measures such as attic insulation and the upgrading of
heating and cooling equipment. New "green jobs" in urban
communities are being created as the result of the new programs.
The utility has plans to fill up to 100 energy auditor and air
sealing positions over the next year, with 41 individuals having
already been hired. Twenty-one full- and part-time positions have
been created so far in community development and nonprofit
organizations that are assisting PSE&G in identifying eligible
homes. Information about the efficiency programs is available
online at http://www.pseg.com/wholehouse, by calling 800-854-4444,
and by visiting one of PSE&G's 16 customer service centers.
PSE&G Residential Whole House Program The PSE&G Residential
Whole House Efficiency Program provides eligible homeowners and
tenants with free or low-cost energy saving services in three
simple steps. The home energy audits are free, and improvements
will be performed by crews trained by PSE&G to perform this
work. PSE&G customers living in 1 - 4 family homes in the
following municipalities may be eligible for free residential home
energy audits: Bayonne, Camden, Carteret, East Orange, Elizabeth,
Gloucester City, Guttenberg, Hillside, Irvington, Jersey City,
Kearny, Mt. Holly, New Brunswick, Newark, North Bergen, Orange,
Passaic, Paterson, Pemberton, Perth Amboy, Plainfield, Roselle,
Trenton, Union City, West New York. A participant must be a
PSE&G customer of record with a separately metered electric or
gas account. Tenants may participate, but landlord permission is
required. Eligible customers receive up to $1,400 in free services
from PSE&G that include an energy audit, testing to detect air
leaks, air-sealing to prevent energy loss, appliance safety testing
and information about energy efficiency. Audit report results are
given to the customer, who may then choose to install recommended
energy efficiency measures. Program Details -- Step one includes a
free in-home energy audit and the installation of up to 10 compact
fluorescent lights (CFLs). -- Step two includes a second in-home
visit, during which free home health and safety testing is
conducted as well as up to eight hours of weatherization services.
Those services may include air-sealing, caulking,
weather-stripping, and a programmable thermostat. -- In step two
the customer also receives a detailed audit report explaining the
results of the audit and a list of recommended energy savings
upgrades that could include such measures as installing attic
insulation or upgrading the heating system. -- For customers who
choose to pursue step three, a PSE&G-authorized contractor will
visit the home and provide cost estimates for the work to be
completed. Program Cost -- Steps one and two are offered free of
charge. The cost for step three depends on the energy efficiency
measures recommended by the audit, the cost of those measures and
the customer's household income. -- PSE&G pays all up-front
costs for the work with customers repaying their share, interest
free, over five years in their PSE&G bill or in one payment if
they choose. -- Customers with family income between 225 percent
and 400 percent of the federal income guidelines will be required
to repay 20 percent of the cost of Step three measures. For
example, a family of four with an annual income up to $88,200 would
be eligible for a 20 percent repayment. -- Customers with a family
income above 400 percent of the federal income guidelines will be
responsible for 50 percent of the cost of installed energy
efficiency measures. -- Customers with income levels below 225
percent of the Federal Income Guidelines will be referred to other
programs, including the Comfort Partners and state Weatherization
Assistance programs. -- Repayment will be made over five years
through a fixed monthly charge on a customer's utility bill. If the
home is landlord owned, the landlord will be billed for the cost of
the efficiency measures. Public Service Electric and Gas Company
(PSE&G) is New Jersey's oldest and largest regulated gas and
electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the
state's population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne
Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a
subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG)
(NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (http://www.pseg.com/).
Want to know what's new at PSEG? Go to http://www.pseg.com/getnews
and sign up to have our press releases and weekly environmental
commentaries sent right to your inbox. DATASOURCE: Public Service
Electric & Gas Company (PSE&G) CONTACT: Bonnie Sheppard,
PSE&G, +1-973-430-7734 Web Site: http://www.pseg.com/
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