TAG is a BPI Accredited Contractor offering complimentary Comprehensive Home Assessments
What is a Comprehensive Home Assessment?
A Comprehensive Home Assessment looks at your whole house to determine how much energy your home uses and what measures you can take to make it more energy efficient.
A professional assessment gives you access to high-tech tools that pinpoint the exact location of duct leaks, gas leaks and which direction drafts are blowing. The information an assessment reveals can help you make targeted repairs that will lower energy bills 5%-30% annually.
A professional Comprehensive Home Assessment typically takes 3 to 4 hours to complete. During the assessment, we conduct a blower door test. This test is used to depressurize the house, see airflow patterns and determine where there are air leaks that need to be fixed.
Following the assessment, you are given a full report on your home's energy usage and recommendations on what you can do to save energy and improve comfort and safety.
Comprehensive Home Assessments are also referred to as home energy audits, home energy assessments, energy savings assessments and home performance assessments.
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Get a Complimentary Comprehensive Home Assessment
TAG, in conjunction with NYSERDA, is pleased to offer a complimentary Comprehensive Home Assessment to every homeowner in Central New York. Here's why we can make this offer:
- We ask that you sign up for a Green Jobs - Green New York Comprehensive Home Assessment (CHA). TAG will reimburse you in full for any charge by NYSERDA for the CHA Assessment. This will apply if your income is greater than twice the median family income in your county. For example, in 2012 twice the median family income in Onondaga County was $133,200; if your family income was between $133,200 and $166,500, you would be required by NYSERDA to pay $50 for an Assessment. TAG will reimburse you whatever NYSERDA requires you to pay. (Note: in this example, NYSERDA pays the full cost of the CHA Assessment when family income is less than $133,200.)
- We also ask that, if you are income eligible for the CHA program (e.g., an Onondaga County resident with family income of $266,400 or less), that you work with us to apply for the program. In most cases, we will complete the application for you. These programs, which are administered by NYSERDA and funded by the Green Jobs - Green New York program, reimburse contractors for all or part of the cost of conducting the assessment.
- We firmly believe that a Comprehensive Home Assessment is the only sure way to determine what steps should be taken to reduce your home's energy usage and improve your home's safety and comfort.
- Following an assessment, it is our hope that you would consider using TAG for any improvements you wish to make.
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Comprehensive Home Assessment Programs
There are many excellent resources available to help you learn more about Comprehensive Home Assessments:
NYSERDA - The New York State Energy Research & Development Administration administers the state's Comprehensive Home Assessment program.
Green Jobs - Green New York - GJGNY is the funding source for the state's Comprehensive Home Assessment program.
Upgrade Upstate New York - The Upgrade Upstate website offers residents a one-stop shop to help you determine which home improvement projects will provide you the most benefit, what rebates and incentives are available, and how to get started. It also explains home energy assessments and how to choose a BPI-accredited contractor to work with. When you enter this website, you will be asked to select your county.
EmPower New York - EmPower is a NYSERDA state grant program that provides no-cost energy efficiency upgrades to income-qualified homeowners and renters. You are eligible if your household income is below 60% of the state median income. For a family of four, that would be a gross annual income of nearly $50,000.
The Assisted Home Performance Program - Assisted Home Performance provides state grants for up to 50% of the costs for energy efficiency improvements to homeowners with income equal to or lower than 80% of the state or area median income (whichever is greater). In Onondaga County, for a family of four, that would be an annual income of $65,507 or less.
If you have questions about any of these programs, please call TAG at (315) 849-9074.
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Financing Options
Several low interest financial options are available through various New York State programs as well as third parties. TAG can help you determine which options are available for your project and budget. Call us for details at
(315) 849-9074.
NYSERDA Residential Financing Program - NYSERDA offers two reduced-interest rate loan products, a Smart Energy Loan that's repaid to NYSERDA and an On-Bill Recovery Loan, that's repaid on your utility bill. For more information on both loan products, download NYSERDA's Residential Financing Product Information.
Upgrade Upstate New York - Upgrade Upstate provides easy navigation to find financing alternatives for homeowners, renters and landlords.
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Financing - HPwES provides low interest rate financing for ENERGY STAR eligible residential energy efficiency improvements.
New York Residential Loan Fund - The Residential Loan Fund provides reduced-interest rate loans through participating lenders to finance home energy efficiency projects.
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