Helping New Yorkers Save Energy
EmPower+ is NYSERDA's flagship program for connecting low- and moderate-income households with no-cost or low-cost energy efficiency solutions.
Program Tiers
- Low-Income (Under 60% of State Median Income): May qualify for 100% of project costs up to $10,000.
- Moderate-Income (Under 80% of Area Median Income): May qualify for 50% of project costs up to $5,000.
Co-Benefits: Beyond saving money, these upgrades improve indoor air quality and home comfort year-round.
How EmPower+ Decides What Gets Done
EmPower+ starts with eligibility, not equipment. The program serves New York residents who meet its income rules, with a low-income tier for households under 60% of State Median Income and a moderate-income tier under 80% of Area Median Income. As listed on this page, the low-income tier may cover up to 100% of project costs up to $10,000, while the moderate-income tier may cover 50% of project costs up to $5,000. Those caps shape the whole project: the assessor's job is to fit the highest-value measures inside the approved budget, in the order that saves the most energy per dollar.
That is why the home energy assessment comes first. An assessor looks at insulation levels, air leakage, heating system condition, and health or safety problems that would block the work, such as moisture, ventilation, or electrical issues. Insulation, air sealing, heat pumps, and high-efficiency lighting are the eligible measures listed for this program, but the assessment decides which combination your home actually qualifies for. Homeowners who arrive with a contractor quote already signed often discover the quote assumed measures the assessment would not have approved in that order.
The Sequence That Protects the Funding
Apply and confirm income eligibility through the official NYSERDA channel before scheduling paid work. Complete the assessment and get the approved scope in writing, including which measures are funded, which are not, and what happens if hidden conditions appear once walls or attics are opened. Ask whether your project sits in the low-income or moderate-income tier, because the cost share changes what a sensible scope looks like. Keep every approval letter, assessment report, and completion document together. If you sell or refinance, that file is the fastest way to show what was installed and under which program rules.
Households weighing a heat pump should read the assessment findings alongside a cold-climate sizing check. A heat pump added to a leaky, under-insulated home can disappoint on both comfort and bills, while the same system after air sealing and attic work usually performs closer to its rating. EnergyBS covers that ordering in the home energy audit rebate checklist and the heat pump rebate by state guide, which help you compare New York support with neighbouring options before you commit.
Worked Example (Hypothetical)
Suppose a hypothetical two-storey house qualifies for the low-income tier. The assessment recommends attic insulation, air sealing, and lighting first, with a heat pump considered for a later phase. The household pays nothing for the approved first-phase measures under the terms summarized on this page, then uses the post-work blower-door result to decide whether the heat pump phase still makes sense. The numbers that matter here are the program caps already listed above, not the contractor's undiscounted quote. This example is hypothetical and simplified; your approved scope, caps, and cost share depend on your tier, your home, and current program rules.
Common Reasons Projects Stall
Income documentation that does not match the application name, rental arrangements where the account holder and applicant differ, and homes with unresolved health or safety findings are frequent causes of delay. A second cause is scope drift: adding measures after approval without checking whether the addition stays inside the funded scope. If a contractor proposes extra work, treat it as a separate, unfunded decision until NYSERDA confirms otherwise in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does renting rule me out? Not automatically, but the account, tenancy, and landlord permissions all matter, so confirm your exact situation on the official program page linked from this record before applying.
Can EmPower+ combine with other New York support? Program stacking rules change, and the same measure generally cannot be paid for twice. Ask how EmPower+ interacts with utility offers for your address before signing anything.
What should I do while I wait? Gather recent utility bills, note comfort problems room by room, and photograph the attic hatch, heating plant, and electrical panel. That file speeds up the assessment and makes the approved scope easier to check.
Next steps: confirm your tier on the official site, book the assessment, and compare the draft scope against the provincial and state rebate stacking guide before approving any extra work.