The energy auditors from New Jersey Natural Gas Co. who pored over Frank Triolo’s Point Pleasant Beach home last week will pay green dividends.
Auditors Jerry Ryan and John D. Chussler checked out the attic’s insulation and looked for nooks that can be sealed to prevent heat loss. They made sure there were no gas leaks and that the furnace was operating properly, among other tests.
In return, Triolo will get a $900 rebate from the utility, money that will help pay for the high-efficiency furnace he and his wife purchased last October.
“We’re both retired, my wife and I,” Triolo said. “We’re on fixed incomes, so anything back is always a help.”
New Jersey Natural Gas started The SaveGreen Project in September, hiring 22 people, including 10 energy auditors. The goal: promote and educate consumers about energy efficiency and stimulate economic activity and job growth.
The program provides $900 rebates to help offset the increased cost of a new high-efficiency furnace or natural gas boiler. But homeowners must first agree to an energy audit, which can recommend steps to make the house more energy efficient, such as air sealing or increased insulation.
Coupled with a $300 rebate from the New Jersey Clean Energy program, a homeowner can save $1,200.
“Having the audit is really the key to making good decisions about what steps you can take to improve the energy efficiency of your home,” said Laurence M. Downes, chairman and chief executive officer of New Jersey Resources, the Wall-based utility’s parent company. “We have gone after this aggressively.”
Since September, the utility has performed more than 1,500 home energy audits and handed out more than $1.2 million in rebates, said Bob Kudrick, manager of the energy-efficiency program at New Jersey Natural Gas. “We are in 18 houses every day, doing these audits and geting people to understand the opportunities in their house.”
The SaveGreen Project is among various measures New Jersey Resources is taking to promote energy conservation and efficiency.
source: www.app.com
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