Submitted by Mitch Gross, Eversource.
BERLIN, Conn. (July 8, 2020) – In an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of customers and contractors while also providing money and energy-saving solutions, Eversource is implementing new health and safety guidelines for the restart of energy efficiency services in customer homes and businesses.
Eversource worked with Environmental Health & Engineering, a health and safety consulting firm, to develop guidelines specific to energy efficiency work. These guidelines include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and enhanced sanitizing requirements in line with the latest recommendations and
industry best practices for reducing the spread of COVID-19.
“We’ve taken proactive steps since the pandemic began to safeguard health while providing safe, reliable service, including offering virtual energy efficiency services for our customers,” said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency Tilak Subrahmanian. “With many contractors who depend on income from energy efficiency work and customers facing financial hardship, these new guidelines will help allow contractors to safely get back to work providing the deeper energy efficiency improvements that help customers save more on their energy costs.”
“Eversource’s implementation of virtual assessments was a lifesaver for my business as we were able to build a customer pipeline,” said Newell & Crathern Owner Bill Newell, an Eversource-approved contractor. “Now that we have clear guidelines and are able to conduct in-person energy audits, we’re back to operating at full capacity.”
In addition to implementing enhanced health and safety guidelines, Eversource is also increasing incentives for energy efficiency projects with a range of offerings for residential, small business, municipal and commercial & industrial customers. These incentives lower, and in many cases completely cover, the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements that can help customers save now and in the future. Residential customers, for example, may qualify for incentives of up to 100% of the cost of insulation. These increased incentives are for a limited time, with many expiring at the end of August.
“We understand this is a challenging time for many customers, and we want to do what we can to make it easier for customers to invest in energy efficiency,” added Subrahmanian. “For customers who aren’t comfortable with a contractor visiting their home or business at this time, we continue to offer virtual assessment options. We will always put the safety of our customers and contractors first, and we’ll continue to use the best available science and data from the experts as we adapt our approach to best safeguard health while serving our customers.”
Customers interested in an energy assessment or other energy efficiency services and rebates should visit the Save Money & Energy section of Eversource.com for more information.
