Natural gas is a deregulated product in New York State. Until 1999, residential customers had no choice but to buy gas from their local gas utility. For most of us in Western New York, that utility was National Fuel, New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), or Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E). In 1999, everyone was given the choice to buy from ESCOs in an effort to promote competition and provide lower prices for all.

By default, your gas supplier remained the utility unless you directed an ESCO to supply your energy. A vast majority of us have never made the change, which means we typically pay more than we need to.

3 Reasons Why Buying Gas through an ESCO is Cheaper

1. Delivery charges are no longer taxable.
Your utility has to charge you county sales tax on the delivery portion of your bill. By getting rid of these taxes, those of us in Erie County are guaranteed to save 4.75% on delivery. Other counties in WNY see sales tax savings from 3.5% to 4.75%.

2. Gross Receipts Taxes go away.
Your utility charges a Gross Receipt Tax (GRT) of 1% if you live in a village or a city, with the exception of Buffalo and Rochester, which have GRT rates of 3%. When you buy gas from an ESCO, that GRT goes away on the supply portion of your bill – another guaranteed savings.

3. We’re able to sell gas cheaper.
While not a guarantee, our costs are typically cheaper than National Fuel and other utilities because:

• We buy our gas locally. National Fuel and other utilities have to buy gas from the gulf coast and Canada

• We don’t have a large overhead. Utilities have a lot of overhead that they pass on to you. For example, the CEO of National Fuel had total compensation of $7.06 million last year, according to Forbes online. By staying with National Fuel, you pay part of that.

What will change if you buy gas from Energsmart?

The only thing that changes is the amount of your bill! Almost everything is the same when you move to an ESCO.

• Same bill from National Fuel (RG&E or NYSEG) that you always get. You still pay them your monthly bill, and then they pay us.

• You will never run out of gas. National Fuel must supply you with gas.

• Gas leaks and other emergencies are still fixed by National Fuel.

• No fees to switch.

• Balanced billing available just like the utility offers.

• You’re not locked into anything. Stop buying gas from us with no penalty (unless you choose a fixed price contract).

• We offer the opportunity to lock into a fixed contract for one or two years. Utilities like National Fuel can’t do this so you will always have to put up with fluctuations in the market.

Click here to switch now

Energsmart is a broker for EnergyMark. By clicking the link above, you will be taken to their company website.

The Energy Star program in New York is getting to be more and more of a no-brainer every time I look at it.  The program is funded by a tax almost all of us pay on our electric and gas bills every month and it’s general purpose is to decrease the amount of energy we use by giving people various incentives to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. 

For a majority of its existence, the program simply gave a 10% rebate to everyone that made energy efficiency upgrades, and a 50% subsidy to lower income folks.  Last year the state added a free comprehensive home energy audit to almost everyone in the state.  Starting January 30, 2012 the program is reaching a whole new level.  A summary of the program benefits is as follows:

1. Any households with annual income under $132,200 get a free energy audit on their home.  NYS pays BPI accredited contractors like Energsmart $250 to perform the audit and prepare a report for the home with respect to energy usage and deficiencies.  Households with annual income between $132,200 and $264,400 pay a portion of the audit fee and the state pays the rest.
2. The home owner can choose to have recommended upgrades done to the home or choose to do nothing without any further obligation.
3. Everyone, regardless of income, gets at least 10% of their work paid for by the program.  If household income meets a low-income threshold, then 50% of the work is covered by the program.
4. Here’s where it gets good…Any amount not covered by rebates or subsidies can be financed by an unsecured 3.49% loan for 5,10, or 15 years, OR the loan can be paid back in your electric bill at an even lower 2.99%!  What’s even better is that the payment you make under this option is tied directly to the projected energy savings the upgrades will provide to your home.  It’s like making an upgrade without anyone taking money from you!  Finally, you won’t have to pay your loan (principal or interest) until June 2012.

It’s almost too good to be true.  Contact us and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Most flat or nearly flat roofs have a top layer of tar and gravel or a rubber membrane.  These roofs (and you know this if you have one) are prone to leaks.  At some point you have to bite the bullet and put a new roof on.  The great news is that we can do it for you!

Over time, asphalt coatings become brittle and crack, which allows water to penetrate into buildings.  That in turn causes expensive damage.  The response to that problem is to try to find the leak, patch it with some tar, and wait for the next leak.  You end up getting into an endless struggle to band-aid the roof.  The easier way to do it is to call Energsmart to create a long-term sustainable roof.

Energsmart is a distributor of Lapolla coatings products.  Lapolla has manufactured roofing remediation products for over 40 years.  Last year our technicians were fully trained by Lapolla to install their roofing systems.

The tar and gravel scenario mentioned above is typically remedied as follows:

1. Loose gravel and other debris is removed from the roof.
2. A 3” thick seamless waterproofing layer of closed cell polyurethane roofing foam is sprayed on to smooth out the surface.
3. A protective barrier is then sprayed on.  This layer can be acrylic or silicone.  Either coating provides a redundant seamless waterproofing membrane over the roof that will not leak.
4. An optional top coat of roofing granules can be installed depending on roof traffic.

The weather will eventually wear off the protective coating layer, at which point an inexpensive reapplication of the protective layer is all that is necessary.

Rubber EPDM, and asphalt roll roofs are remedied in a similar manner.  In most cases, expensive tear-offs are not necessary.  Contact us for more info.

If you noticed this snow and ice build-up last year, don’t let it happen again. Now is a perfect time to fix your insulation problems before any serious problems occur.

It’s no surprise that Buffalo winters are harshly cold and usually come with a ridiculous amount of snow – a combination that is a death sentence for a poorly insulated home. Instead of spending your winter pouring money into your heating bills, contact us for an insulation estimate.

By installing insulation products from Energsmart, your insulation project will pay for itself in 2-3 years with the money you will save on heating bills. Look forward to a warm home this winter and give us a call before the white stuff starts accumulating.

With the cost of energy increasing, now is a perfect time to invest in foam insulation for your home. Energsmart has talented crews with years of experience and a stellar reputation. Watch our informative video to see why you should do business with us, and see how you can save money and reduce energy spending with spray foam insulation.

Let’s start with walls that have no insulation. Three products are generally available. Blown fiberglass, blown cellulose, and injectable foam. Blown fiberglass, like all fiberglass, is the lowest grade insulation available. It’s cheap, but very inefficient and we don’t offer it. That being said, its installation is almost identical to cellulose.
Cellulose is typically installed from the outside of the home. Siding is removed and holes are drilled into every cavity. At Energsmart we drill a single 3” diameter hole in the middle of the wall and insert the fill tube all the way inside the cavity until it reaches the top and bottom. This way, we know if there is an obstruction in the wall AND every square inch of the cavity is getting filled at 4 PSI (pounds of pressure per square inch) at the very least. Some competitors install cellulose this way, but some companies insert the fill tube at the hole that was drilled and “pressure fill”. Our opinion is that if two holes per cavity are drilled and a high pressure machine is used, then little to no settling will occur. If you get a quote for only one hole to be drilled per cavity, you should run from it unless the fill tube is going to be fully inserted into the cavity. When you hear stories about cellulose settling, chances are it was done using a single hole pressure fill method. Injectable foam, described in the next paragraph, can also be used when insulating an empty wall cavity.

If the cavity to be insulated has a thin layer of insulation (homes typically built in the mid-1900s), the ideal product to use is injectable foam. Cellulose CAN be used in this situation, but we don’t recommend it. Injectable foam is much more effective because the shaving cream consistency of the product has fluid-like properties that push the foam in and around any obstructions and fiberglass in the cavity. It’s also installed at a much higher pressure (20 times higher!) than cellulose, which results in much better coverage.

The price for these products is largely driven by the type of exterior on your home. A relatively new single story vinyl sided home is relatively less expensive; while an older two story aluminum sided home will be on the higher side. Injectable foam is a seasonal product that we only install from April thru September. Like all foam products, it will be more efficient because air can’t move through it. As always, call or e-mail us for any questions or advice.

The point of this post is to let everyone know that we’re now serving the DIY community. People tell us they went to Home Depot and bought cellulose and did the job themselves. I can respect that. I’m like that in a lot of ways. You can save a lot of money if you’re willing to get dirty and put some time into a project. Cellulose is perfect for that. Frankly, it’s not that tough to do. With a couple pointers on ventilation and depth from a professional, anyone can do it. The issue is that when people go to Home Depot, they get raked over the coals by their high prices.

“Less Saving. More Doing. Only at the Home Depot”

The last time I checked, an 18 lb. bag of cellulose cost $10.85 at Home Depot. That’s a whopping $0.60 per pound! Energsmart sells a 30 lb. bag for about $8.50, which is only $0.28 per pound. That’s less than half the price for the same R-value and coverage! Home Depot hooks you by letting you rent their machine for “free”. I would hope so when they’re overcharging you by $6 per bag!

Home Depot = $10.85 (18lbs), Energsmart = $8.50 (30lbs)

You can purchase cellulose from Energsmart

So if you’re thinking of doing a cellulose project yourself, do yourself a favor and buy your cellulose from Energsmart. Even after renting the machine you’ll still come out on top. We also have can foam in stock, feel free to contact or call us today at 716-775-8035. We’re happy to help.

In the past, while the program significantly reduced the costs of insulation for lower income households (50% paid by the state), there wasn’t a big incentive for anyone else to take part because it only gave a 10% rebate. Since the program requires more time of contractors from an administrative standpoint, that 10% break is easily given back in the increased price of the products being installed.

All of this changed last year with the stimulus act. Regardless of your opinion of the bill, the fact of the matter is that the states were handed gobs of money to implement energy efficiency programs. New York instituted the Green Jobs Green New York (GJGNY) program with its portion of the handout. GJGNY has become part of the existing Energy Star program in the state. The result? Government incentives to make energy efficiency upgrades (we will likely never see these incentives again in our lives due to our national debt situation). Here are some of the highlights of the new program, which clearly give all New Yorkers a reason to consider it:

1.
Households with incomes under $127,000 get a FREE energy audit. This isn’t the free audit some contractors offer. Your home is actually modeled using state supplied software. You get an actual comprehensive report detailing your home’s energy deficiencies, and companies like Energsmart get paid by the state to provide this service. You’re under no obligation to do any of the work.

2.
Homes with incomes between $127,000 and $254,000, get a reduced audit fee between $0-$250. The maximum fee is $250 for homes over $254,000 in income.

3.
A 3.99% loan for any work completed under the program is available for ALL homeowners REGARDLESS of income. This rate drops to 3.49% with direct debit!

4.
All homeowners get a 10% instant rebate, even if the project is financed through the 3.99% loan. Homes below 80% of the median state income ($42,500 for a household of two people) get 50% off their work.

We all paid for this program so you might as well get your fair share of the incentives offered! Contact us to learn more.

Some people think that it’s hot on their second floor because it’s hot outside and heat rises to the second floor. Not true. Almost every roof in the area is very dark (brown, black, charcoal). Dark colors absorb light/heat instead of reflect it. This is why we try not to wear a black shirt on a 90 degree day unless we want to sweat off a few pounds. When the sun hits a roof like this, even on a 60 degree day, the surface of the roof will get very hot and radiate that heat into your home. In the summer the roof temperature will get well over 100 degrees. This is like putting your furnace on high in the middle of the summer! Some home designs, like cape cods, lend themselves to a lot of discomfort because the roofline of the home is right on top of the living space and there are usually only one or two windows on the entire second floor to provide cross ventilation.

So how do you remedy the problem? There are really two ways. First, you could use air conditioning. Second, you could insulate the roofline with foam insulation. Air conditioning is great. I have it and I’m glad. The problem is that if your insulation is bad the A/C will run all summer long and your electric bill will be insanely high. By insulating the roofline with foam you’ll reduce radiant heat from the sun down to a trickle, which will make your A/C run less and keep your electric bill low.

An added benefit to foam is that it will drop your energy usage in the winter as well. We often measure the air infiltration of the homes we insulate with a blower door kit. On average we cut air infiltration in half just by insulating the attic! That means cold winter air is less likely to get into your home.

So what are you waiting for? Give us a call at 716-775-8035. And remember, Spring is the least expensive time to insulate your home.

Every day, we see the words fully insured in advertisements. Did you ever wonder what that means exactly? There is no universal definition. In my mind that means no matter what happens to your house, your family, or the people working on it, you have no risk whatsoever. No one is fully insured under that definition.

At the very least, a contractor should carry liability insurance with a one million dollar limit per occurrence limit. You want to verify this by getting a cert DIRECTLY from their insurance company. The fact that they told you they had coverage isn’t going to help you in the unfortunate event that something goes wrong with your project. A cert is a standard document and costs nothing to you or the contractor. It will also show you if the contractor has unlimited workers compensation insurance coverage, which is required in New York state.

For additional protection, ask your contractor for an additional insured clause. This should also be obtained directly from their insurance carrier. This is useful, for example, if a sub-contractor gets hurt and doesn’t have insurance. The lawyers for the sub-contractor are going to go after you AND the contractor you hired. If you have additional insured coverage, you latch onto your contractor’s policy, which significantly reduces your personal exposure.

Now let’s talk about experience. Foam insulation may look easy on TV, but I assure you from firsthand experience, it is not as easy as it looks. A bad contractor can cause significant damage to a home and you’ll have little or no recourse against them. It’s always a good idea to check out how long the company has been in business and what kind of record they have with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). If a company has been in business for a few years and doesn’t have any complaints lodged against them with the BBB, then you’re probably in good hands.

I hope no one ever has an unpleasant experience with a home improvement contractor, but unfortunately, it’s a fact of life. Coincidentally, Energsmart carries all of the insurance recommended above and we’ve also completed thousands of projects without one single complaint to the BBB. We try to give our customers the lowest price possible, but if our prices are a little higher, consider paying a premium to work with us just for the peace of mind that the job will be done correctly by professionals.