Poughkeepsie - Customers of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. may now take advantage of energy efficiency programs offered by the utility. The first of these SavingsCentral programs provides residents with rebates for the installation of high efficiency electric cooling and heating systems, and small businesses with free energy audits and financial incentives for equipment upgrades. The Home Energy and Business Energy SavingsCentral programs will provide approximately $9 million in energy efficiency incentives to Central Hudson customers and participating local contractors, or ‘Trade Allies,’ from 2009 to 2011.
“We’re pleased to offer these new energy efficiency incentives to help our customers lower their energy usage, save money and protect the environment,” said Vice President of Public Affairs and Energy Efficiency Denise D. VanBuren. “Our customers can learn more by calling the SavingsCentral toll-free hotline at (800) 515-5353, and the programs are featured on Central Hudson’s newest Web site, www.SavingsCentral.com, which offers comprehensive information on energy efficiency, environmental protection and more.”
The Home Energy SavingsCentral program provides residences with incentives of $400 to $600 for the installation of high-efficiency central air conditioning systems, air-source heat pumps and electric heat pump water heaters, and $200 for electronically controlled motors used in home conditioning systems. A rebate of $25 is offered for Energy Star rated programmable thermostats, which typically pay for themselves in one year.
“Residents are also offered incentives of up to $300 each for professional home air sealing and duct sealing by an eligible an eligible SavingsCentral ‘Trade Ally,’ which includes blower door and duct blaster testing,” said VanBuren.
The Business Energy SavingsCentral program benefits small businesses, local government facilities, not-for-profit agencies, private and public institutions, educational and healthcare facilities and other non-residential customers with peak electric demands of 100 kilowatts or less. The program offers free energy audits and rebates of up to 70 percent of the cost of qualified electric equipment, including efficient lighting, electric heating and cooling systems, motors and other custom electric equipment upgrades. The audits will provide a report detailing where efficiency measures would produce the greatest savings, the cost of each measure, and payback periods.
“Already, some local businesses and agencies are taking advantage of this program,” VanBuren said. “We have enrolled local heating and cooling contractors as ‘Trade Allies,’ listed on our new Web site, as installers of qualified equipment from whom customers may choose to help lower their energy use.”
An additional Home Energy SavingsCentral program for residential natural gas heating systems and equipment will start in July, and will provide residences with incentives up to $1,000 for the installation of eligible energy efficient natural gas furnaces, natural gas boilers, boiler reset controls, steam boilers, indirect water heaters, programmable thermostats and duct and air sealing.
“These programs are designed to help the state and each utility achieve their energy-use reduction goals,” said VanBuren. “We have also proposed additional programs, such as an expansion of the Business Energy SavingsCentral program to include mid-sized facilities, a refrigerator bounty program to remove older, inefficient refrigerators from service, and others, which if approved would provide additional opportunities for savings.”
Other programs for large businesses, residences, and financial incentives for the installation for solar and wind systems continue to be offered through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Both NYSERDA and utility programs are funded through the Systems Benefit Charge on utility bills.
Rebate forms, Trade Ally information and additional details on Central Hudson’s efficiency programs are available by calling the toll-free SavingsCentral hotline at (800) 515-5353 or by visiting www.SavingsCentral.com
