Your Utility Company Wants To Save You Money
Utility company residential energy savings programs have been around for quite some time in other states, decades for many. In Louisiana, we have typically remained behind the energy efficiency curve relative to the rest of the nation. But Louisiana is now making strides to compete with these traditionally more energy-conscious states.
Does My Utility Company Participate In These Programs?
Yes! Entergy Louisiana’s energy savings program is called Entergy Solutions. For Entergy New Orleans, the program name is Energy Smart. Cleco’s energy savings program is Power Wise. Atmos Energy has an energy efficiency incentive program for homes specifically with central gas heating furnace systems.
How Do I Benefit From These Programs?
Inclusive of most utility energy savings programs is commonly referred to in the industry as weatherization. Weatherization includes industry-standard pressure testing of the home and/or testing of the central air conditioning and heating ductwork system for air leakage. Once the air leakage rates are determined and visually inspected, our energy efficiency techs will begin air sealing your ductwork and home.
* This data is sent to your utility company for payment for services performed.
Ductwork Ductwork Ductwork
Although there are countless ways to save on one’s energy bills, sealing leaky ductwork most commonly provides the most significant energy savings for the typical home with central heating and air.
Federal Energy Star Program research demonstrates that the typical ductwork system loses about 20 to 30 percent of air through leaks, holes, and poorly installed ducts. The US Department of Energy reports 25% to 40% of energy losses.
Learn More About DE HVAC Duct Testing
Is there more than weatherizing my home through duct and air sealing? Although nearly all homes with central system ductwork will result in savings once air-sealed, other incentivized products and services depend on the utility company.
Insulation
Most utility companies also incentivize additional attic insulation. Suppose there needs to be more existing insulation in the attic that meets the utility company criteria. In that case, the participating Trade Ally receives a payment from the company to offset the amount charged to the homeowner by as much as 75%. The energy savings payback-in-full for many of our clients is within just a few months. Maybe less!
Learn More About DE Cellulose Insulation Service
Lighting
Depending on the utility company, high-efficiency LED bulbs are provided to replace inefficient hot energy-wasting incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescents.
How Much Are The Rebates?
The exact types and amounts of rebates listed on utility program websites are usually vague for each product and service. Bullet points and brief descriptions of services are featured, but the viewer usually leaves these sites with many questions about how much the incentives or rebates are for their specific cases.
The rebates are offered directly to the participating contractor (Trade Ally) for services performed under the program’s guidelines. Money is not paid directly to the residential customer. As independent companies, Trade Allies have their pricing associated with performing these services, which they then discount to the homeowner based on the rebates they receive from the savings program. The Trade Ally may perform the service at no additional cost, depending on the product and service. With some products and services, there will be a cost for which the trade ally will first provide a formal proposal.
Let’s Simplify Contractor Practices
Whole house and ductwork air sealing. Often, Trade Allies will perform this service at no additional cost to the customer. Although it is at the Trade Ally’s discretion, these rebates may be accepted as payment in full for this service.
Attic insulation
Different amounts of rebates are offered to Trade Allies to install attic cellulose insulation. For the utility companies incentivizing attic insulation, the rebate amount depends on a mix of (1) how much attic insulation currently exists. (2) Heating type: Electric strip (non-heat pump), heat pump, or gas heating. (3) Does the utility customer fall into an income-qualified program?
What Exactly Does My Utility Company Provide?
Click on your utility company to find out what residential products and services they provide:
Entergy Louisiana (Outside of Orleans Parish)
Entergy New Orleans (Orleans Parish Only)
CLECO Power Wise
Atmos Energy
LED Bonus!
For The First 250 DE Utility Program Customers 2024
Diversified Energy will give our first 250 Utility Home Energy Efficiency Program customers FOUR free Wifi adjustable color LED bulbs. These are not your average LED lightbulbs! You can change the brightness and color! They work with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. No hub is required. These premium LED lightbulbs are normally sold for $12.99 Each, but our first 250 utility program customers of 2024 will get four of these awesome bulbs for FREE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Since the state’s first significant energy savings program, The Energy Smart Program, Diversified Energy has weatherized over 25,0000 homes.
Based on case studies from numerous utility companies, nonprofit organizations, and government-funded programs, leaky ductwork is one of the most significant reasons for high energy bills and poor indoor air quality.
Trade Allies are typically what the utility company calls the “participating contractors.” Trade Allies are independent contractors carefully vetted by the utility company to ensure proper levels of insurance, experience, practice industry best practices, etc.
Entergy New Orleans and Entergy Louisiana provide programs to income-qualified residents to offer Trade Allies additional incentives for these services to encourage the contractor not to propose further costs for the particular energy-saving improvements the customer receives.
Yes. Both owner/landlords and renters can receive these services.
Yes. Your utility company is excited to offer these services to larger multi-unit building owners to create savings on a larger scale.
No. But full disclosure is that although these services are provided at little to no cost by the participating Trade Ally through funding from the utility company, we all know that nothing is for free. The funds available to the Tade Allies to provide these services to their the utilities’ customers came from somewhere or someone. Here is a way to get some of the money back. What better way than to have these services performed to create monthly savings and additional comfort for years to come?
Utility companies have many reasons to support these programs. It helps reduce peak demand energy usage, lowering their energy cost. Public relations. Additional incentives from government entities. Political influences.
Most importantly, the result is an increase in the efficiency of your home.
Other benefits reported by our clients are:
Increased comfort.
Reduction of interior moisture levels of the home.
Improved indoor air quality.
Increased airflow from the central air conditioning system.
Elimination of hot or cold spots within the home.
Diversified Energy is proud to be one of the original weatherization contractors to participate in the first pilot program in Louisiana called Energy Smart. New Orleans started the utility energy savings wave coming to Louisiana. The program launched in 2010 and has been open to all Entergy New Orleans residential and business customers. Since the program began, Energy Smart has paid more than $43 million in incentives to more than 113,000 participants, saving customers nearly 355 million kWh.
How Do I Get Started Saving Money?
Call Diversified Energy at 504-3273-7779
