Energize CT is Connecticut’s energy efficiency campaign and is sponsored by both your electric utility and energy efficiency providers. The program is available to renters, homeowners, and businesses across Connecticut. Here’s the breakdown of the different measures that you can take to reduce your energy use and resultant utility bills through the Energize CT program in 2020.
Energize CT rebates for lighting and appliances
One of the simplest actions you can take to reduce your energy use is to swap out your old, inefficient lighting and appliances for more efficient models. Energize CT offers rebates and discounts for small and large appliances, lighting, and heating & cooling systems.
Compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED light bulbs
Replacing your old incandescent light bulbs is about as simple as energy efficiency can get. While a 60-watt incandescent light bulb will last for about 1,200 hours, a comparable CFL bulb will last 8,000 hours, and LED light bulbs can last for up to 25,000 hours. Assuming eight hours of usage per day, these LED bulbs can light your home for more than 3,000 days – over eight years – before they need to be replaced.
More efficient bulbs come at a higher price, but you can get significant discounts on both CFLs and LEDs by simply visiting local retail stores. Look for the blue ENERGY STAR label and the Energize Connecticut display on product packaging – the cost of those products has already been discounted for you.
Eversource and UI customers in Connecticut can also purchase discounted lighting through the SmartLiving Catalog.
Washers, dryers, refrigerators and freezers
If you’re using older appliances in your home, you can significantly reduce your electricity use by replacing them with new energy-efficient models. To help you out, Energize CT offers rebates for energy efficient appliances:
Energize CT rebates for energy efficient appliances
| Appliance | Energize CT Rebate |
|---|---|
| Clothes dryers | Varies |
| Clothes washers | Varies |
| Refrigerators | Varies |
| Freezers | Varies |
Heating & cooling equipment
Heating and cooling your home or business is one of the biggest contributors to your month-to-month energy bills. However, it can be costly to invest in upgrades to your HVAC system. Energize Connecticut offers rebates on a variety of updates to your heating and cooling system:
Energize CT rebates on heating and cooling updates
| Update | Energize CT Rebate |
|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR central air conditioner | Up to $250 |
| ENERGY STAR ductless split heat pump | Up to $500 |
| ENERGY STAR water heater | Up to $500 |
| Geothermal heat pump | $500 to $1,500 |
| Natural gas furnace or boiler | Up to $800 |
| High efficiency natural gas tankless hot water heater | Upt to $300 |
Energize CT Home Energy Solutions
In addition to rebates on energy-efficient appliances and equipment, the Energize CT program offers home energy assessments for homeowners, renters, landlords, and multi-family buildings in Connecticut, at a cost of $124 for a visit. For those residents who meet certain income requirements, your home energy assessment may even be free.
During a home energy assessment, a Home Energy Solutions technician associated with Energize CT will come to your home to evaluate your energy performance, as well as install energy-saving measures such as sealing leaks and installing energy-efficient lighting and low-flow showerheads. Additionally, your technician will provide a written report with recommendations for more impactful energy-saving measures, like heating and cooling upgrades, appliance upgrades, and insulation changes. These recommendations will all have information on rebates and financing options to help you make affordable, intelligent energy choices.
If you live in a multi-family home, you can find home energy solutions through Energize CT’s Multifamily Initiative. Like the single-family Home Energy Solutions program, the multifamily program provides customized solutions, including assessments of energy-saving opportunities and access to information about incentives and financing energy efficiency upgrades.
Energize CT Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program
One of the many benefits of going through Energize CT’s Home Energy Solutions assessment is access to low-interest loans to help finance your energy upgrades. During your Energize CT energy assessment, your technician might determine that you should upgrade your heating or cooling system or replace the insulation or windows in your home, which can lead to large up-front costs that you can offset with a low-interest loan.
Customers of Eversource and UI are eligible for the Energize CT Energy Efficiency Financing Program, which offers as low as 0% financing for a variety of energy efficiency home improvements. You can borrow between $1,000 and $25,000 to finance projects to install:
- Insulation
- Energy efficient windows
- ENERGY STAR heating and cooling systems
- High-efficiency water heating equipment
Loans are given for up to a 12-year term, and there are no fees to you or your contractor. Additionally, you don’t need equity in your home to be eligible, and you can quickly apply through a simple application process. Eligible participants must own and occupy a single-family or multifamily home up to four units, including condos. Vacation homes qualify as well.
Smart-E Loans for solar PV systems
The Energize CT program offers many ways to reduce your energy use by making your property more efficient. However, energy efficiency will only take you so far. The most impactful way to cut your energy costs over time is to generate your own electricity, and installing a solar panel system is one of the best ways to invest in your home and save money on energy for the future.
Energize CT makes it easy to finance solar projects. In partnership with CT Green Bank, Energize CT is offering Smart-E Loans that can be used to finance over 40 types of home energy improvements. Energize CT already offers its Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program that covers many of the potential upgrade projects you might want to undertake, but one type of project it can’t cover is a solar project – this is where Smart-E Loans become useful. Here are the details for several possible Smart-E Loan options:
Energize CT Smart-E Loan details
| Loan Term | 5 years | 7 years | 10 years | 12 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APR (Annual percentage rate) | 4.49% | 4.99% | 5.99% | 6.99% |
In order to be eligible for a Smart-E Loan, you must meet the following standards:
- Your property must be located in Connecticut
- Your property must be owner-occupied
- Your property must be a 1 to 4 unit residential building
- Condominiums must be individually metered
To find out just how much you can cut your energy bills by going solar, try using EnergySage’s Solar Calculator. The Solar Calculator uses weather data, local rebates and incentives, electricity rates, and real-time prices to create a customized estimate of your 20-year solar savings. EnergySage offers a solar marketplace where you can get competing solar installation quotes for your property, for free. When you combine Energize CT energy efficiency measures with solar power, you can be confident that you’re maximizing your savings while living in a truly eco-friendly home.
