Discounted Home Energy Assessment Coming To Chatham Residents

CHATHAM, NJ — A home energy audit program supported by both JCP&L and PSE&G may be offering an incentive program to all Chatham homeowners in the name of being more energy efficient.

Scott Fischer of cielpower.com recently appeared before the council to announce the launch of the Chatham Home Energy Insight Program, which provides discounted home energy assessments.

Over the next six months, the energy assessment of all Chatham homes will be offered for $49 under the program. The audit's goal is to highlight potential efficient changes and upgrades within the home.

Many people, according to Fischer, are unaware of the robust incentive programs that both JCP&L and PSE&G offer to their customers for making energy efficiency improvements in their homes.

The incentive programs provide both cash back and on-bill repayment for improvements such as insulation upgrades, heating system upgrades, and air conditioning system upgrades.

According to Fischer, these changes can also lower the home's operating costs.

"The goal of the Chatham Home Energy Insight Program is to broaden awareness that these programs that are out there are available to homeowners to make these types of improvements," Fischer said.

The energy audit is considered a "deep dive" into a home, Fischer said. The technicians are tasked with conducting multiple diagnostic tests that are designed to pinpoint how each home is losing or wasting energy.

Following the three-hour visit, the technicians will compile a report outlining all of the systems in their homes and which are "the worst offenders," as well as recommendations for how a homeowner can improve their efficiency.

Cielpower.com currently has similar programs in neighboring communities such as Madison and Summit.

"My hope is that we can come here and audit all of the homes in Chatham and that we can open up these incentives or make them available to many households here in Chatham that could benefit from them," Fischer said.

The assessment program will also offer several low income options in order to accommodate for all Chatham residents.

According to Fischer, the audit program was created in response to a public request for proposal, which is a process in which the borough accepts bids from competing companies and selects one of them.