House Republican Press Release

November 10, 2008

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Alberts Promotes New Energy Audit Program for Homes with Oil and Propane Heat

Program Offers Clean, Tune and Test Services, Home Energy Audit and Weatherization Services for $75

State Rep. Michael Alberts, R-50th District, Brooklyn, Eastford, Hampton, Pomfret and Woodstock, encouraged residents who heat with oil or propane to take advantage of a new program to make their heating systems and homes more energy efficient. An existing audit program already is available for people who heat with electricity or natural gas.

The new program starts Nov. 15 and offers the cleaning, tuning and testing of a customer’s furnace. The efficiency of the heating system is then audited. The costs the consumer just $75.

Once the audit is complete, the customer will be referred to the existing Home Energy Solutions program, which performs a whole-house energy audit as well as some weatherization measures. The Home Energy Solutions program is administered by the state’s electric and gas utilities.

“Home heating costs continue to be a major challenge for many households,” said Rep. Alberts. “Though oil and gas prices have dropped in recent weeks, they are still higher than most past winters. Assuring the heating system works efficiently is a first step toward saving energy.”

Gov. M. Jodi Rell, in announcing the new program, said, “This program will help people to achieve both short- and long-term savings on their energy bills. We want to provide consumers with a whole range of energy services at a tremendous value – helping with immediate out-of-pocket costs as well as with ongoing energy expenses.”

The program will also work in the reverse – oil-heated households that work with the Home Energy Solutions program will be referred to a local licensed heating, piping and cooling contractor to have their systems cleaned, tuned and tested. In either case, the customer will only be asked to pay $75 for both services. The state and the ratepayer-funded Home Energy Solutions program will pick up the rest of the costs.

To qualify for the program, consumers need to schedule whole-house audit services with their electric utility or contact their licensed heating system service company to schedule clean, tune and test services between November 15 and June 30, 2009. The customer will pay $75 for the first audit service and the rest will be paid for through the program.

In an effort to get licensed heating, piping and cooling contractors registered quickly to participate in the program, the governor’s Office of Policy and Management held an informational session for interested contractors on November 10, 2008, at Northeast Utilities headquarters in Berlin, Connecticut.

Licensed contractors wishing information may call (866) 940-4676 or e-mail Julie.cammarata@ct.gov.

For more information on the program, residents may contact Rep. Alberts’s office at 1-800-842-1423.