How New Haven Is Helping Local Families Lower Heating Costs

Every winter, families across New Haven face the same challenge: keeping their homes warm without breaking the bank on heating costs.

That can be a challenging task, especially if you live in an older house. Drafty windows, poor insulation, and outdated heating systems waste energy and can drive up heating costs. But for many families, upgrades aren’t in the budget.

That’s why Energize Connecticut℠ and the City of New Haven offer financial incentives for improvements that save energy and lower heating costs. Homeowners across Connecticut can access Energize CT rebates to help pay for upgrades, and, thanks to a city grant, income-eligible homeowners in New Haven can save even more.

At New England Smart Energy Group, we’re proud to be a participating contractor delivering these services.

Here’s a closer look at how it works and the savings you may qualify for.

How It Works

Start with Energize CT Home Energy Solutions

The first step is to sign up for Home Energy Solutions (HES) or Home Energy Solutions-Income Eligible (HES-IE).

With HES or HES-IE, you’ll get:

A comprehensive evaluation of your home’s energy efficiency, so you know what upgrades need to be made
Energy-saving improvements like air sealing and duct sealing
Recommendations for the energy efficiency improvements your home needs most
Help accessing rebates to reduce the cost of upgrades like insulation, window replacement, and high-efficiency heating systems that save energy and lower heating costs

HES is available to all residential electric customers of Eversource, UI, CNG, and SCG with a $75 co-pay. If you sign up before December 31, 2025, the utility will waive your co-pay! HES-IE is available to income-eligible customers at no cost.

Stack Energize CT Rebates with New Haven City Grant Incentives

Energize CT offers generous rebates, but they may not fully cover the cost of the upgrades your home needs. That’s why the City of New Haven is offering additional incentives to income-eligible residents.

If your annual household income is below 80% of the area median income (AMI), you may qualify for extra savings that you can stack with your Energize CT rebates. Together, they may cover up to 100% of your costs for:

The city grant also helps tackle problems that often block energy efficiency upgrades. If your home has mold, asbestos, or outdated electrical wiring, these “barriers” need to be fixed before work can begin, and that can be expensive.

Thanks to the New Haven City Grant, income-eligible homeowners may qualify for financial assistance to help pay for barrier upgrades, including:

Mold remediation
Asbestos removal
Knob-and-tube wiring replacement
Electrical system upgrades

How Do These Upgrades Save Money?

Energy efficiency improvements like new windows, insulation upgrades, and high-efficiency heating systems reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat your home. And the less you use, the less you have to pay for.

Insulation, for example, is one of the most effective ways to lower heating costs. It prevents heat from escaping your home, which means your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep you warm.

High-efficiency heating systems, like heat pumps, also play an important role. Heat pumps can heat your house using less energy than other types of heating systems, which lowers your costs.

The right combination of upgrades could save you hundreds of dollars a year or more on your energy costs.