- Appliances & Electronics
- Energy Assessment (Audit)
- Heating & Cooling
- Hot Water
- Insulation
- Lighting
- New Construction or Major Renovation
- Rebates
Additional Details
If you’re planning to build a new home, you have a great opportunity to minimize energy costs, maximize comfort and do your part for a clean energy future. You can be a leader in the energy- efficient technology revolution and have a profound impact on how we use energy today and in the future.
Better for You and the Planet
Designing and building your home with the latest energy-efficient technologies does a lot more than save energy. It gives you greater comfort and convenience and healthier indoor environments that add up to enhanced value.
And don’t forget the bigger picture – the environmental benefit. Building a high-performance home gives you the satisfaction of doing your part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and live more sustainably.
Let Us Be Your Guide
The Residential New Construction program helps you, your architect and your builder, design and construct a home that is a model of energy efficiency. The program provides:
- Expert guidance from energy specialists – Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) Raters – who help you tap into energy-efficient home certifications, high-efficiency equipment, high-performance building practices and the latest material options. See the section below for more information about HERS.
- Your Certified HERS Rater works with your building team throughout the construction process. Based on your new home’s final HERS index you may qualify for a rebate of $1,500 to $7,000 or more!
You can consider the rebates as a kind of housewarming gift to you for reducing your new home’s carbon footprint!
Call 877-WISE-USE (877-947-3873) for more information.
It is easier than you may think to build an energy efficient home – and we will be with you every step of the way. Getting started is the easiest. Just give us a call. In just a few more steps you will have a rebate check in hand. Easy!
Who is Eligible? Residential customers building a new home or gut rehab that will receive electric or gas service from Eversource, UI, CNG or SCG may qualify for this program. Single-family and multi-family projects are eligible. Because new construction rebates require an insulation and thermal bypass inspection, applications MUST be submitted before your home is insulated in order to be eligible.
While you are still in the planning stage, contact the Program Administrator shown below to connect with the proper program. Your builder or your Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rater can make the call for you if you prefer.
| UI Customers | Eversource Customers |
|---|---|
| Program Administrator | Program Administrator |
| Call 877-WISE-USE | Nicholas Jones |
| (877) 947-3873 | (860) 665-5825 |
| ui.wiseuse@uinet.com | nicholas.jones@eversource.com |
Contact a HERS rater during the planning stages. The rater will review your plans and provide you with a pre-construction HERS Index score. Working with your architect or builder, they will identify energy-efficient improvements needed.
Click here for a list of participating Connecticut HERS raters.
Once you have hired a HERS Rater, they will review your plans with you and your team, explain the program and discuss how to maximize the use of energy-efficient technologies that make sense for your home, your goals and your lifestyle. Your HERS Rater will also explain the benefits – including rebates* – and the steps to earn additional certifications. (See the section below for more information about HERS.)
Homes that receive a HERS Index score within the required threshold*, can receive incentives through by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund. Home that meet the requirements of the program typically show they are at least 25 percent more efficient than a typical home. Single-family home incentives range up to $7,000, depending on HERS Index scores.
Your HERS Rater or the utility Program Administrator will also work with you to identify additional financial incentives and rebates available through other state or federal programs - including any federal tax credits. Plus, we can help you to connect to the green building community.
At this point, you should also review the Requirements and Submission Checklist as well as the EV Ready and PV Ready program checklist with your HERS rater.
* See the project application for all terms and conditions that may apply.
The program offers multiple whole-home certifications, including ENERGY STAR®, LEED for Homes, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, or National Green Building Standard® requirements and you may qualify for an additional rebate. You might also want to enter your home in the CT Zero Energy Home Challenge. (See the Bonus Rebate section below for information about each of these programs.)
You, your building team and your HERS rater will review your construction plans. Based on what you intend to build the HERS rater will prepare a pre-construction HERS Index. Once you have this index our energy experts can help you complete the program application, which will include your pre-construction HERS Index score and estimated incentive.
Download the application now. Be sure to read all of the instructions, rules and terms and conditions very carefully to avoid processing delays. New construction rebates require an insulation and thermal bypass inspection, so applications MUST be submitted before the home is insulated to be eligible. The ideal time to submit your application is before construction starts.
Your HERS rater will conduct insulation and thermal bypass inspections at various stages of construction. On-site tests typically include a blower door test to measure air tightness and a duct test to measure air flow through the ducts. The test results, along with information from the plan review, help determine your home’s final HERS Index score. Inspections must be conducted prior to drywall installation and after construction is complete.
When your home is completed and you have the final HERS Index score, your HERS Rater will submit the completed application and testing documentation to the Utility Program Administrator. This is a good time to also review the Requirements and Submission Checklist again with your HERS rater Refer.
Once the program administrator reviews and approves, a rebate check will be sent to you – the (new!) homeowner.
Call 877-WISE-USE (877-947-3873) for more information.
Residential customers building a new home or gut rehab that will receive electric or gas service from Eversource, UI, CNG or SCG may qualify for this program. Single-family and multi-family projects are eligible. Because new construction rebates require an insulation and thermal bypass inspection, applications MUST be submitted before your home is insulated in order to be eligible.
Getting the process started is easy. While you are still in the planning stage, just contact your utility program administrator:
| UI Customers | Eversource Customers |
|---|---|
| Program Administrator | Program Administrator |
| Call 877-WISE-USE | Nicholas Jones |
| (877) 947-3873 | (860) 665-5825 |
| ui.wiseuse@uinet.com | nicholas.jones@eversource.com |
If you are a Connecticut resident and are not served by one of the utilities listed above, please visit your municipal utility's website to see what energy efficiency programs are available to you.
Call 877-WISE-USE (877-947-3873) for more information.
About Home Energy Ratings and the HERS Index
The Connecticut building code requires that all new homes meet a minimum level of energy efficiency. Most new home buyers expect more than this minimum and most new home builders claim their homes are energy efficient. But without an objective, third-party measurement of energy efficiency there is no way for you to make informed comparisons between homes and between builders’ claims.
A Home Energy Rating (HER) solves this problem by assigning a numerical rating, called the HERS Index, to a home. The HERS index is the industry standard used to measure the energy efficiency of a newly constructed home. It’s also the nationally recognized system for inspecting, calculating and estimating a home’s energy performance.
The HERS index is determined by the Home Energy Rater, who assesses the energy efficiency of a home, assigning it a relative performance score. The lower the score, the more efficient the home or dwelling unit. A typical resale home scores around 130 on the HERS index (on average), while a standard home, built to energy code, scores around 100. Every point below 100 on the HERS index, translates to roughly 1% energy savings compared to a code built home.
The scale to the right shows the range of HERS indexes you might encounter when you buy a home. Older, less efficient homes have HERS Indexes over 100. The US Department of Energy estimates that a typical resale home has a HERS index of about 130. Some drafty, poorly insulated homes may have indexes as high as 200! Newer or energy-retrofitted homes have indexes under 100.
All new Connecticut homes should have a HERS Index below 100 since the State adopted higher energy efficiency standards in 2011. A home built to the current building code standard should have a HERS Index close to 85. However many new homes are built to be much more energy efficient and achieve HERS Indexes below 60.
A few new homes achieve HERS Indexes close to zero. These homes produce as much energy as they use by combining high-performance insulation and mechanical systems with renewable energy systems. If you are interested in constructing a Zero Energy Home, contact your utility Program Administrator or visit our CT Zero Energy Challenge page.
HERS ratings are determined by trained Home Energy Raters who are certified by RESNET (www.resnet.us), a national, non-profit organization that oversees the standards for Rater certification, quality assurance and the calculation of home energy ratings.
Certified HERS Raters use energy modeling software to determine the home’s HERS Index. The energy models use information collected by the Rater from on-site inspections of the home during construction, from testing the air-sealing of the building and its duct systems, from building plans and from independent reports of the efficiency of the installed heating, cooling, water heating, ventilation and on-site generation systems.
To learn more about HERS visit the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). Use their interactive HERs Index model to see the impact on savings, carbon footprint and comfort from making your home more energy efficient.
Make your home standout and earn a bonus rebate
Build your home to ENERGY STAR®, LEED for Homes, DOE Zero Energy Ready Home, or National Green Building Standard® requirements and you may qualify for an additional rebate. You might also want to enter your home in the CT Zero Energy Challenge or consider building your home to meet the All Electric Home standards.
Read more below about how each of these national programs might be the right fit for you and your new home.
- Comfort/Quiet
- Healthy Environment
- Enhanced Durability
- Advanced Technology
- Quality Construction
- Energy Efficiency
Certified DOE Zero Energy Ready Home may qualify for an additional incentive through our Residential New Construction program. Find out more about the certification process at the U.S. DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website.
Green building, also known as high-performance building or sustainable construction, incorporates environmental considerations and resource efficiency into every step of the home building and land development process with the goal to minimize the home's environmental impact. Choosing green means making intentional decisions in your homes construction about:
- Energy-efficiency
- Water conservation
- Resource conservation
- Indoor environmental quality
- Site design
Certified NGBS homes may qualify for an additional incentive through our Residential New Construction program. Find out more about the certification process at the Home Innovation Research Labs website.
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| Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto presents a 2013 Challenge Award to Brookside Development. The Singer Estate high efficiency model home was designed and built to fit into the current estate property featuring a large, stone home. |
Participating homes demonstrate that it’s possible to build near zero energy homes today, while representing the technologies and techniques it takes to get there. A zero net energy home is designed to exceed minimum code standards and may also produce some of its own energy, using no more energy than it produces on-site. All homes entered in the CT Zero Energy Challenge must participate in the Residential New Construction program. Learn more about the CT Zero Energy Challenge
Did you know you might be able to take advantage of federal income tax incentives for Solar Energy Systems? Congress first passed the incentives in 2005 as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and has amended them several times since then.
Current incentives* expire December 31, 2021. Find out more at ENERGY STAR®.
You should contact a tax professional with questions specific to your situation.
*All other ENERGY STAR federal tax credits expired at the end of 2016.
See how the sponsors of Energize Connecticut helped Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity build thier first Zero Energy Ready home, which won a Grand Prize from the U.S. Department of Energy Housing Innovation Awards.
Overall Winner and Lowest HERS Index and Lowest HERS Index before Renewables, Best Overall Envelope (Tied) Winner
Project: Michael Debari Residence, Preston, Conn.
Builder: Nick Lehto of Lehto Design Build, Danielson, Conn.
| HERS Index | |
|---|---|
| Code-Built Home | 100 |
| Before Renewables | 37 |
| With Renewables | -14 |
““Sustainability, country living aesthetics, and a place where our blended family of eight could call home were deciding factors in building our new home in Preston,” said Michael Debari. “Working with Eversource and Nick Lehto’s team was a true partnership. After six years, we are excited to have this dream become a reality.”
