Home Energy Efficiency in New York

Overview

We don't need to tell you that New York is cold in the winter (January average low, 23 degrees) and hot in the summer (July average high, 83 degrees). Did you know that the average home in the New York City area was built in 1954? So your home might not be up to speed when it comes to keeping all that unwanted cold and hot air out.

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

Here are a few other facts about New York that you might find inspiring, or at least might encourage you to consider a home energy upgrade:

New Yorkers consume the fourth least amount of electricity in the nation (around 600 kilowatt-hours/month), yet they pay more to ConEd, Long Island Power Authority and other energy providers for their electricity than most other states (around $0.17/kWh).
New York state residents are the third largest consumers of natural gas in the nation, and they're paying more for it than most other states (around $16.75/1000 cubic feet of gas).

Home Energy Upgrades in New York

If you're living in a beautiful old house and its only downfall is the utility costs, here are some projects you might consider.

Energy Audit: This will tell you where your home needs help when it comes to using energy efficiently, like those leaky doors and windows or that old furnace that wakes you up at night.
Attic Insulation: Older homes typically have about three to four inches of insulation in the attic. In the New York City area, you should take it up a notch by adding insulation with a rating of R-38 to the already existing insulation.
Storm Windows: With such high energy prices, single-pane windows are not going to cut it in a climate as cold as New York's. While replacing windows may be expensive, efficient windows may make a huge difference on your heating bill. Think of it as a long-term investment.
Solar Panels: If you've already taken all the most cost-effective efficiency measures, a home renewable energy system could be the solution. And depending on size, your system could create enough energy to give some back to the grid, which your utility company is required to pay you for.

Have a project in mind? Contact an energy expert to get started.

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in New York

How do you pay for all this?

Home Efficiency Upgrades: The federal efficiency tax credit covers 30 percent of the cost of important measures improving your home's insulation, which as we mentioned above, is important in New York where the temperatures can be extreme. You can also claim it for new windows, furnaces and other efficiency upgrades. New York-area utilities also have rebate programs for energy-efficiency upgrades.

Renewable Energy Systems: Besides reducing your expensive electricity bills, installing a photovoltaic system means you are eligible for a bunch of tax credits, exemptions, abatements and rebates. Long Island Power Authority offers $2.75 per watt for photovoltaic system up to 10 kW based on the system's capacity. New York City residents qualify for a property tax abatement of up to $62,500 for solar panel systems, and they are eligible for a state income tax credit of up to $5,000. Also, there is no sales tax on solar energy systems sold in New York. To sweeten the deal even more for solar, the federal government offers an income tax credit for 30 percent of the solar energy systems installation and equipment costs. The federal tax credit can be stacked with the other incentives to cover a huge chunk of your solar energy systems costs.

New Energy Rebates... To Look Forward To: In February 2010, New York plans to offer ENERGY STAR rebates for refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers and high-efficiency appliance packaging. Also, "Cash for Caulkers", also known as HOME STAR, is a proposed initiative that will create a larger tax credit from the federal government for making your house a certain percent more energy efficient overall — no matter how you do it, as long as it's testable.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in New York.

Home Energy Resources from EnergySavvy

Home Energy Report: How efficient is your home? Find out how to improve your home's efficiency and comfort, without spending tons of money, with EnergySavvy's free online home energy report.
Energy Rebate and Tax Credit Directory: EnergySavvy's guide to energy rebates and tax credits can help you find all the energy tax credits and rebates that are available locally for you.
Energy Contractors: If you've got a project in mind to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable and you'd like to talk with an energy expert about it, we can help. We focus on the relatively small group of contractors nationwide who really understand home energy auditing and energy retrofits.
Educational Content: Home energy efficiency is complicated stuff. It's not just as simple as laying some insulation in the attic. We've put together a library of easy-to-read topics that cover the basics of energy efficiency. And if you have a question about anything, you can ask one of our energy experts using our "Ask an Expert" feature.

Last Updated: January 2010