Issue #5: July 12, 2012
Ever wonder about the whooshing sounds in your attic?
It’s worse than ghosts: It’s money leaking from your house through poorly insulated walls.
Data, though, show energy retrofits can bring a New York homeowner substantial savings – an estimated average of $647 a year in 2011. North Country retrofits are projected to save an average of $940!
Green Jobs/Green New York retrofits typically go beyond stopping drafts. And since every house is different, savings vary.
Don’t believe in ghosts? Fair enough. But Green Job/Green New York retrofits are the real thing.
Common Energy Wasters and How to Stop Them
(Click on the house to go to an interactive house.)
Green Jobs/Green New York retrofits start with a free or low-cost home energy assessment, with professionals using scientifically proven methods to assess a home. These contractors pinpoint the location of drafts, evaluate the quality of the wall insulation and do safety and efficiency checks on appliances, heating and cooling systems, among other tests.
They then recommend a package of improvements to increase efficiency, save money and even fix health hazards like gas leaks and mold. If a home doesn’t need a professional retrofit or the savings won’t pay for themselves, they’ll tell you that too.
If you choose to get the recommended improvements, your home will be safer and more comfortable, and you’ll save hundreds of dollars a year.
GJGNY by the numbers
Data Source: New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA)
These averages are projected savings. They are based on home energy assessments conducted on 1-4 family homes participating in NYSERDA’s residential energy efficiency programs—including the GJGNY program—for 2011. These projections reflect fuel prices in 2011. Savings also vary due to the size and age of the home, the type of improvements made and other factors.
This issue of Watt’s New? was prepared by Anthony Ng, Stephan Edel, Chloe Tribich and Joseph Rappaport of the Center for Working Families.
Creating Jobs ● Saving Money ● Conserving Energy 
