What NYSERDA Is (and Why the Money Exists)
For Long Island homeowners, the two programs that matter are Comfort Home (for moderate-income and above) and EmPower+ (for lower-income homeowners, with richer benefits). Both pay contractors directly to perform energy-saving work on your home. You never file for a check. The rebate comes off your invoice.
What Projects Qualify
- Attic insulation from existing R-value up to R-49 or R-60
- Air sealing of the ceiling plane and rim joists
- Wall insulation retrofit for homes with empty wall cavities
- Basement and rim joist insulation
- Crawl space encapsulation with insulation
- Duct sealing and insulation in unconditioned spaces
New construction does NOT qualify. Neither do projects that bring you only to current building code — NYSERDA wants to pay for performance above code.
Why Every NYSERDA Project Starts with an Audit
Which is actually great news for you. A proper BPI audit costs $400-$800 out of pocket with most contractors. Under the NYSERDA programs, the audit is folded into the project price — meaning if we're doing your insulation work, the audit is effectively free.
Rebate Amounts, Without the Marketing Spin
- Single measure (e.g., just attic insulation): typically $1,500-$2,500
- Two measures (e.g., attic + rim joist): typically $2,500-$4,000
- Whole-home retrofit (attic, walls, basement together): up to $5,000
EmPower+ pays significantly more for income-qualified households — in some cases covering 100% of the project cost. Income limits are tied to HUD Area Median Income for Nassau/Suffolk and are updated yearly.
The Three Ways People Miss Out
Two: they skip the audit. Some contractors skip the BPI audit because it's extra work. Without the audit documentation, the rebate application is rejected.
Three: they sequence the project wrong. If you've already insulated your attic and then you call about walls, NYSERDA won't retroactively rebate the attic work. Single-measure rebates have lower caps than bundled projects — bundling matters.
Want Your Rebate Handled?
Still have questions?
This guide was written by Dan Kowalski. If your situation has a wrinkle we did not cover, call us direct. Most questions we answer by phone take five minutes.