Uniondale, NY - May 12, 2016 - As the heat index increases so, too, does the demand for air conditioning in homes across Long Island and in the Rockaways. The most cost effective and efficient way to cool a home is with properly installed central air conditioning (CAC). The PSEG Long Island Cool Homes Program assists customers with a way to save money on a new, high efficiency CAC that will provide greater comfort and lower energy usage.
The Cool Homes Program helps customers save from $100 to 500 per year. In the last two years, more than 11,000 PSEG Long Island customers have participated in the Cool Homes Program, reducing electric consumption by 8,050,000 kWh and collectively saving customers more than $1.4 million dollars per year.
“Studies indicate that replacing a central air conditioning unit that is more than 12 years old, with an ENERGY STAR® certified model, could cut cooling costs by 30 percent,” said Michael Voltz, director of renewables and energy efficiency, PSEG Long Island. “By utilizing the PSEG Long Island Cool Homes Program, customers can lower electric bills, reduce maintenance costs and extend the life of the equipment.”
There are two options to save when replacing an existing CAC system with a new, qualified, high-efficiency system. The first option, which provides savings of up to $1,000 per system, is to have a Cool Homes Participating Contractor install the new CAC unit. The second option provides savings through a rebate of up to $350, where customers purchase a qualifying, energy efficient air conditioning system directly and have a non-Cool Homes Participating Contractor install the unit.
There are several things to consider before purchasing CAC equipment. ENERGY STAR-rated central air conditioners have a higher seasonal efficiency rating (SEER) than standard models, which makes the unit more efficient. All CACs have a SEER rating or measure of the system’s average efficiency over the entire summer. The SEER rating measures the system’s efficiency on the hottest summer days. To qualify for the Cool Homes rebate, the CAC must have a minimum rating of 16 SEER.
The Cool Homes Program is part of the PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency Program. Independent annual evaluations by Opinion Dynamics Corporation have found PSEG Long Island’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs generate energy savings that are cost-effective. The evaluation for 2014 found the Program to have a benefit/cost ratio of 3.4, which means that the program generated $3.40 in benefits to the utility and its customers for every $1.00 in costs to operate the program, including rebates.
Energy-efficient changes to homes can increase comfort and save money. To learn more about PSEG Long Island Energy Efficiency programs, visit here.
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a 12-year contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of approximately $10.4 billion.