
NEW ENGLAND SMART ENERGY
About us
Lower your energy bills by having your home assessed for energy efficiency, provided by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund. In addition, gain access to rebates and financing options for new insulation, windows, heating/cooling systems, appliances, and state incentives!
Business highlights
Services we offer
CFL lighting, For a small co-pay of $75 for Gas/Electric customers or $99 for Oil/Propane customers, and hot water savings measures. Rebates are given for recommended upgrades for heating/cooling systems, appliances and geothermal., appliances inspection, duct sealing, gas leak, heating/cooling system check-up, insulation, insulation evaluation, mold and/or asbestos detection, windows, you are entitled to $850 worth of services. The assessment includes air sealing
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
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When the team arrived, they were on time and each of them introduced themselves by name to me before coming into my house. They were all very polite and courteous. The leader (I can't remember his name) gave me an overview of the process and explained things as they went. Basically, they simulate high winds around the house and then monitor for where leaks are. My house is relatively new and has no basement, so it was already pretty efficient, but there were some major leaks by the front door and attic door, which they sealed on the spot. They also showed me that I could hold my hand over any electrical socket, even ones on interior walls, and feel the "wind"--which means air was leaking out those! So I plugged them all with those little socket protectors. The guys also took me into the attic and showed me some leaks, and fixed them--and fixed the attic door by adding a little latch to help it stay closed. All in all, they reduced the amount of air getting into my house by 500 (I forget the units). It was clear they didn't just make up this number--they showed me the number after the first test and then after the second test (when they had treated the problem areas).
I also got a few free CFLs and LEDs, and bought 3 more LEDs since they were at a great price. They left some rebates with me, although all my appliances are new so I didn't need anything.
When they left, they each said goodbye and were very professional until the end. They were respectful in my home and asked before opening any closets or doors, etc. I felt very safe with them here, which is not always the case when people are in your home working. I think the price is a fantastic one, especially with the AL rebate that was on when I scheduled. I feel I got my money's worth. My husband and I had tried to plug some leaks ourselves, but we didn't really know what we were doing and we had no way to measure if we were really helping anything. This audit gave me hard numbers to look at and I was impressed that they did the fixes on-site (included in the price--for instance, they plugged a whole around my front door frame by installing a clear plastic barrier). It was a great deal and a great experience. Highly recommend!
Bonus--when we resell this house in a few years, I will definitely list that we got a professional energy audit performed on it and that it's very efficient. Definitely a selling point!
I suspect that we will see the same given the thoroughness the three member team showed. They spent close to 3 hours plugging holes, replacing light fixtures and developing suggestions where we could see further savings. In addition, they provided a number of rebates for added insulation, appliance replacement etc. I would recommend to anyone.
They did the door blower test which revealed different air leaks in the house. They sealed around some of the doors in the home, installed some door sweeps, caulked around baseboard registers etc. However, the work was far from consistent and less than professional in quality.
There are 15 registers / returns in the home and we were told they would caulk around them all, they caulked around 7. 2 of which the caulking was so thin that it cracked before the next morning.
There are 3 sinks in the house where pipes were supposedly "foamed and insulated" on their report. There is no additional insulation visible anywhere that I can see.
We are entitle up to 40 CFL light bulbs in the home, however, even the 30 they said they changed were not completed.
For example:
-there are 2 nightstand lamps in the bedroom. One lamp received a CFL and the other wasn't touched.
-there is a hallway ceiling light that was supposed to be changed out with CFLs, but still has the same old bulbs.
-downstairs bathroom still has all three original bulbs
-two bedroom ceiling fans that take regular "A" type bulbs all have the same bulbs
I sent an email to the gentlemen who came out to the house asking if we could at least receive the extra bulbs. He did respond and said yes, but never got back in touch with me. After the general overall experience I did not bother chasing after them for a few more dollars worth of bulbs. However, the whole point is not the money, its the fact that these were all listed on the report and not completed accordingly.
They did recommend an insulation company to come in and give us a quote and also told us about different programs offered from the state which would allow us access to rebates for making home energy improvements. All in all, I guess it helped us to know where the air leaks were in the house, but the overall performance of the team was simply sub-par. They were nice, polite and somewhat informative but by no means "wowed" me.
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
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All skilled traders and home improvement contractors operating in the State of Connecticut are required to be licensed or registered by the State Department of Consumer Protection. License or registration identification is required to be on all advertising, business cards, signage, and contracts. You can check to see if a contractor or tradesperson is licensed or registered by going to: State of Connecticut licensing