Southold Town hosts green home forum
Southold Town hosted a community meeting Tuesday evening informing the public about the Long Island Green Homes program, which offers free or low-cost energy audits aimed at reducing electricity costs and carbon emissions.
During a Southold Town Board work session last month, Brian Smith of Community Development Corporation of Long Island told board members about the initiative.
The audit consists of several diagnostic tests performed by an accredited contractor to determine what improvements can be made to make home’s more energy efficient, Mr. Smith said. These include assessing existing insulation, examining heating, cooling, and hot water systems, and checking appliance and lighting efficiency.
The contractor would then provide the homeowner with a list of recommended improvements along with their costs and the estimated energy savings, Mr. Smith said.
The homeowner may pick and choose which upgrades to install or decide not to move forward all together, Mr. Smith said.
The cost of the upgrade could be paid upfront, however incremental payments can be made through the homeowner’s electric bill, he said.
LIPA may provide rebates from 10 to 60 percent of the cost of installation of energy efficient measures, according to the Community Development Corporation of Long Island. And the contractor could coordinate and leverage these rebates to reduce out of pocket costs.
“It helps homeowners upgrade their homes to become more energy efficient,” Mr. Smith said. “The saving measures pay for themselves in seven years.”
So far Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, North Hempstead, Smithtown and Southampton towns have offered similar information to residents.
