WEST PENN ENERGY SOLUTIONS LLC

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Michael was professional and very helpful.  Will definitely call on him again.  Thank you Michael.

Very well. I was happy with the entire experience.

See above

Knowledgeable and professional., and a job well done. Plus the insulation has cut our heating bills dramatically.

I guess they are really busy. The energy auditor was trying to squeeze in meetings evenings or weekends.  He used a lot of acronyms and fancy language to explain what he was doing.  I was frequently asking, "Does that mean . . . ?"  It seems he could do a better job of having his work make sense to his customers.  On the other hand, the heat sensing camera and blower door test made it obvious where we are losing heat.  

We needed to have electrical wires replaced in order to have insulation blown into the walls (not cheap.)  I was concerned that a "for-profit" auditor was just drumming up business.  So I asked questions at a non-profit (Conservation Consultants, Inc who had been too busy to do the audit in the first place.  They reinforced "best practices" that Mike at West Penn Energy Solutions had suggested.  

The audit was completed promptly and Michael took the time to answer all of my questions about the process.  He did not use it as a pushy sales process, which was very much appreciated and quite professional.

We have a very old home (+100 years) and Michael and his crew did a very nice job with the air sealing and insulation.  They went above and beyond the scope of the work as defined in the contract.  It was clear that both Michael and his crew were passionate about the service they provide to their customers.

The end result:
- Winter:  Heating costs shrunk by about 25% each month...which is great because we were averaging around $500/month on our heating bills!  Many rooms in the house became more comfortable, but it took some tweaking of adjusting vents, etc., to make the heating a bit more uniform.  Unfortunately, the ground floor has been the biggest problem since it gets very cold in the winter, and this didn't change as much as we had hoped.  That's the drawback to having an old house, I suppose.
- Summer:  Previously our air conditioner couldn't keep up on hot days (85+ degrees) and the 3rd floor was always VERY hot.  Now the air conditioner can handle the load and the house was VERY comfortable all summer.  It was also much cheaper.

Overall, we are very pleased with the work.  The payback period won't be as fast as expected, but we are still satisfied with the results.  Michael and his staff were very friendly and professional through the entire process.  I highly recommend using West Penn if you would like to have similar work completed.

Michael Merck of West Penn Energy Solutions responded promptly and coordinated with me via email, which I appreciated. The energy audit cost $400, but that money was discounted off the price of any work done, so it ended up being free for me. The audit consisted of a series of infrared photographs to identify insulation trouble spots, a blower test to identify air infiltration, and a carbon monoxide test. He used the data to generate a computerized model of my home's energy usage, which enabled me to see exactly how much expected value different work would have on the house. I chose to have new insulation blown in and have some particularly egregious air leaks fixed.

The audit was done on April 15; the results of the audit (and the model) were presented on April 28. We went over the work face to face on May 5. I agreed to the work to be done, and he presented me with a proposal on May 12. Work began on remediation on June 20, with the bulk of the work done by the beginning of July. Blowing insulation required cutting a lot of holes in the wall; they patched these and were quite diligent about applying multiple coats of sealing compound and sanding so the walls were paint-ready. (They don't paint.) This work has to occur over time, to allow applications of the sealing compound to dry. After the work was done, Michael came by again to retest and verify that remediation was successful. (No IR camera this time, just a blower test. The insulation's effectiveness was self-evident.)

West Penn Energy coordinated well with the electrician I chose for unrelated work (they had worked together before), meaning both got done efficiently and I could minimize the number of holes cut in my walls. West Penn was always  prompt, knowledgeable, courteous and respectful of my time and home, very important when such an invasive job is being done.

West Penn Energy Solutions was very easy to work with, and I would recommend them without hesitation to anyone concerned about making their home more efficient. They are comfortable with large jobs, but the energy audit is useful and informative even if you choose to do no work with them.

Well done but condescending attitude and expensive estimate.

Michael came and did an energy audit, explained the results in detail. We decided to proceed with insulating our attic and basement. The men who came were friendly but professional, they treated our home as if it was their home. They showed up when expected and cleaned up after themselves. So far this summer our home is cooler than it was last year.

See above discription.

They seemed to communicate very well. I would use them again in the future if necessary.

They went above and beyond. It wasn't just energy efficiency measures, but also things related to safety. It was almost like a second home inspection. It was a young, harworking guy. He was very thorough. He didn't do the installation, although the prices were very competitive. I just used the person that was going to do the whole house.

Very well.

Michael couldn't have been nicer. He took the time to walk through the house and gave his honest opinion about our ideas for how to seal up the house, other problems that could arise after we insulate, and steps we might want to take to address those problems. He was professional, helpful, and very knowledgeable. We are doing the actual insulation work ourselves, but I would not hesitate to contact West Penn Energy Solutions if we decided to hire someone instead.

Mike and his crew arrived promptly at 8:30 AM. They worked for two days and throughly insulated the atti,c,basement, bathroom, all kneewall zones on the second floor,, electrical plumbing with either ridgid board,blown in or spray foam insulation.. They did a super job and cleaned up as they went along! My husband and I agree the price was well worth it. The upstairs and closet and war and vey confortable. We can't say enough good things about West Penn Enrgy Solutions!

The job went well. It took approx. 4 days to complete. Mike and his team were very professional, courtious and extremely knowledgeable about how to make a home more energy efficient. Mike called me each day to inform me of the progress and what to expect. I would highly reccommend Mike and personnally will not purchase a home again without Mike doing an audit so I can understand if a home is truly energy efficient or if there are hidden cost in things like high energy bills.

Mike and his crew were extremely professional, courteous and hard-working. Mike scheduled our work as soon as possible, brought 2 men and did almost all the work in two days. As soon as the special-order windows come in he will install them and the job will be complete. He couldn't be easier to talk to or more concerned about his clients' wellbeing and satisfaction with their home. He is also extremely knowledgeable about energy star requirements and the latest options in smart and sustainable home modifications. He and his crew completed every item noted on the contract plus performed additional jobs that came up once he was underway, such as caulking around a leaky window and sealing an unexpected stove flue, at no additional charge. They worked tirelessly clearing out old coal dust, rubble and debris in our basement joists to make sure the foam would make a good seal and cleared up everything afterwards. The painstaking way they cut each piece of wainscoting to fit over the rigid board insulation took hours of their time and left our kitchen looking like it had been remodelled, not just insulated. They even fit insulation board and wainscoting into the back of original built-in shelves, cutting each piece by hand. When they discovered ductwork that could not be reached from the basement they removed registers inside the house in order to seal the ductwork from the inside. Our house is solid masonry and plaster, with heat loss issues that other companies refused to touch, saying nothing could be done unless insulation could be blown into hollow spaces. Mike and his company found creative solutions to address our particular circumstances and treated the job as a whole, making a large number of small changes that add up to a big improvement in energy efficiency and comfort. The house feels great now, with no drafts and leaks.