by June Portnoy
EnergyWorks is a five-county (Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware and Philadelphia) energy efficiency improvement and lending program established in 2010.
“We are one of 25 communities to receive funding from the Department of Energy to make this program possible,” says Katherine Gajewski, Director of EnergyWorks.
EnergyWorks makes low-interest loans available for residential and commercial energy efficient improvements.
“This program also enables you to make an investment in your home, your largest purchase, so you can save on energy use and bills while making your home feel more comfortable,” says Katherine.
Prior to EnergyWorks, trying to find a certified contractor to conduct an audit, complete energy efficiency work, and locate energy efficiency funding was a complicated process.
“There was no program in this region that brought all the pieces of the puzzle together,” says Katherine. “Thanks to EnergyWorks, we have created one-stop shopping to handle your energy-efficiency and financing needs.”
EnergyWorks partners, The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, AFC First Financial, the Keystone HELP Program and the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA), offer the technical and financial expertise to make successful residential and commercial upgrades easy to complete.
To get started, simply go to EnergyWorks’ web site at www.energyworksnow.com to complete a form. A program representative will follow up with you within 24 hours. You will be assigned one of over 100 certified contractors in the area to come to your home to conduct an audit. While audits typically cost around $400, EnergyWorks will charge you a discounted price of just $150.
“Most people contact EnergyWorks because their home feels uncomfortable, their energy bills are too high, or they anticipate their energy bills increasing,” says Tom Wells, Certified EnergyWorks Contractor from Thomas G Wells Construction, LLC in Levittown.
“I called EnergyWorks because my house was very drafty,” says Robert from Upper Makefield. “When the wind was strong, you could feel it throughout the house, especially around the doors.”
“I was concerned about the high costs associated with heating my home with oil,” says Anne Sears from Yardley.
“I begin each audit by doing a walk through the house to get a sense of the layout of the home,” says Tom Wells. “I look at each part of the house from the basement to the attic to see where it is missing insulation, how well it is installed and how thick the insulation is.”
