Residential Home Energy Assessments

Bay State Gas wants to help you save money and energy. Our Partners in Energy Program provides energy-saving tips and incentives to help you increase the energy efficiency of your home. We will pay 75% of the cost, up to $2,000, to help you weatherize your home or apartment. Additional rebates are also available to reduce the cost of replacing inefficient heating systems, water heaters, and old, leaky windows. Through the Partners in Energy Program, we offer FREE, no-obligation home energy assessments. We will perform a thorough energy assessment of your home and provide you with an Offer Sheet report listing energy-saving measures that qualify for incentives.

Plus, we can relieve you of many of the headaches when installing energy-saving measures. For most/some of the eligible energy-saving measures, we can, at your request, assign a Partners in Energy-approved independent installation contractor to do all the necessary work (some of which may be free, some not). Independent contractors are pre-qualified and adhere to strict standards. The contractor warrants all workmanship and materials for one year.

PARTNERS IN ENERGY PROGRAM MEASURES, INCENTIVES AND REBATES

The following tables list measures which qualify for financial incentives and/or rebates through the Partners in Energy Program:

Eligible Energy-Saving Measures
(certain conditions apply)

• Attic insulation (When R-11 or less exists at the time of the home energy assessment)
• Wall insulation (When none exists at the time of the home energy assessment)
• Heating pipe/duct insulation
• Thermostat installations
• Rebates   
  • high-efficiency space heating equipment
  • high-efficiency indirect water heating equipment
  • Energy Star Windows
  • Energy Star thermostats
• Water heater tank wrap
• Low-flow showerhead
• Faucet aerator

Costs We'll Share With You

Bay State Gas will pay 75% up to $2,000 of the total cost of purchasing and installing attic, wall, heating pipe/duct insulation, as well as programmable thermostats.

• When needed, we will supply and install a water heater tank wrap, low-flow showerhead and faucet aerator at no cost.
• Rebates are in addition to the 75%, $2,000 maximum incentive for weatherization measures
• Income eligible and Fuel Assistance recipients may qualify for this program at no cost.

Contact us to schedule a home energy assessment. During normal business hours, you may also call the Partners in Energy Intake Center at 800-232-0120 for additional information.

Rebates For High Efficiency Equipment and Other Energy-Saving Upgrades

In addition to our in-home programs and incentives, Bay State Gas offers existing and prospective customers up to $1,850 in rebates towards the installation of these great energy saving opportunities. Before you make a purchase decision, check the table below for specific equipment type and rebate amounts.

Equipment Installed	Rebate Amount	Efficiency Required
ECM Furnace	$400	92% or > AFUE*
Warm Air Furnace	$100	92% or > AFUE*
Hot Water Boiler	$1000	90% or > AFUE*
Hot Water Boiler	$500	85% or > AFUE*
Steam Boiler	$200	82% or > AFUE*
Combined High Efficiency Space and Water Heating Unit	$1300	90% or > AFUE* and model must identify a water heating option/feature as part of the standard unit without additional external components
Indirect Water Heaters	$300	N/A
On-demand, tankless water heaters	$300	.82 Energy Factor
Thermostat	$25	ENERGY STAR Label
Windows	$10	ENERGY STAR Label
*AFUE - Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency

All rebate forms may be found on the GasNetworks^â web site or by calling the Partners in Energy Intake Center 800-232-0120.

Additional Programs

ENERGY STAR^®: Your Partner In Energy Efficiency

Bay State Gas is proud to be a partner with ENERGY STAR®, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The ENERGY STAR label has been created to help consumers quickly and easily identify home appliances and other products that save energy. Look for the label when you are remodeling or replacing equipment in your home or business.

For information on the ENERGY STAR label, products and programs, call toll-free
1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937) or visit www.energystar.gov.

ENERGY STAR^® Homes Program

The Residential ENERGY STAR^® Homes Program promotes a higher standard of energy efficiency in new home construction. This regional utility initiative was created to help home builders and buyers design and construct new homes that use up to 30 percent less energy than homes built to Model Energy Code standards.

The Residential ENERGY STAR^® Homes Program operates by providing home energy ratings as a means of certifying compliance with the ENERGY STAR^® standard and helping consumers and builders differentiate between efficient homes and standard homes. ENERGY STAR^® homes offer optimal indoor comfort and energy savings. The program provides ENERGY STAR^® plans review, including a pre-construction meeting, post construction inspection, of all the components (e.g., central heating and water heating equipment, lighting fixtures, appliances, enhanced measures), a blower door test (to measure air leakage), and Home Energy Rating System (“HERS”) certification to ENERGY STAR^® qualifying homes.

Bay State Gas Company offers 50% of the certification fee (approximately $450) per home.  Wherever applicable, the investor owned electric company provides the other 50% of the fee. 

The Tax Incentives Assistance Project (TIAP) 

The TIAP is sponsored by a coalition of public interest nonprofit groups, government agencies, and other organizations in the energy efficiency field. It is designed to give consumers and businesses information they need to make use of the federal income tax incentives for energy efficient products and technologies passed by Congress as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. For more information visit www.energytaxincentives.org

Home Energy Saver

See how your home compares against an energy efficient home in your area. This online tool allows you to enter specific information about your home and provides you with some recommendations for making your home more energy efficient.

Click on Home Energy Saver  to get started.
Or learn some easy ways to help lower your energy usage with ENERGY STAR® @ homes interactive tool

Income Eligible Program

For tenants and homeowners that meet certain income guidelines, Bay State Gas in coordination with the local Community Action Agencies, is offering eligible customers no-cost home energy assessments and the installation of weatherization measures including (but not limited to):

• Attic insulation 
• Wall insulation 
• Floor insulation 
• Pipe insulation 
• Caulking 
• Weatherstripping 

To find out if you qualify, contact your local Community Action Agency:

Brockton area		(508) 588-5440
Springfield area		(413) 272-2209
Taunton area		(508) 823-6346
Hampton area		(413) 552-1548
Plymouth area		(508) 747-7575
Northampton area		(800) 370-0940
Framingham area		(508) 620-1230
Lawrence area		(978) 681-4950

What else can I do to save energy? 

Here are some additional ways you can save energy on your own:

1. Lower your heat thermostat to 55 when you are going away for several days. 
2. Avoid running water continuously while doing dishes, washing up, brushing teeth or shaving. 
3. Wrap the hot water pipes coming out of your water heater with insulation. Wrap those pipes nearest the heater first for greatest savings. 
4. Keep your freezer tightly packed, adding bags of ice as needed to fill space. 
5. Load washers and dryers to capacity, but don't overload. Overloading can cut down on efficiency. 
6. Don't peek in the oven as you cook. Every time the door is opened, a lot of heat escapes. 
7. As your home settles, gaps can open along the doors and windows. Installing and/or replacing the weather stripping around doors and windows can solve this. 
8. Check for open fireplace dampers. 
9. Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained. 
10. Look for ways to daylight, reduce the time the lights are on and replace incandescent bulbs and fixtures with compact or standard fluorescent lamps.