In early 2024, Chenango County resident Eric Melendez was living in a drafty home with a broken water heater, so in the middle of winter, he struggled to stay warm. But with some help from local energy advisors, he received grant funding to replace his water heater and weatherize his house. Now, he lives comfortably, knowing winter won’t stand in his way of a warm home.
Melendez explained that while he contacted the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) some time ago to try to get new insulation, he was disappointed in the contractor he initially worked with and decided not to go forward with the project. But when his water heater broke down last year, he decided it was worth trying again, so he reached out to his local social services department. Social services again connected him with NYSERDA, who in turn told him about the Regional Clean Energy Hubs.
Once he learned his local Cornell Cooperative Extension, [CCE county] was part of the Southern Tier Regional Clean Energy Hub (Smart Energy Choices), he gave the Hub a call. He soon talked with Community Energy Advisor (CEA) Kate Harasta, who gave him advice on how best to proceed, including getting an energy assessment and applying for relevant assistance programs like Empower+.
Eric Meledez’s new heat pump water heater. This uses a heat pump to heat water far more efficiently than traditional heating systems. Photo by Collis.
Fortunately, Melendez’s second try paid off. He received assistance from programs like Empower+ and worked with a different contractor to get his home better weatherized and replace his water heater with a heat pump water heater.
“The professionalism of the individuals that came in was great,” Melendez said. “The initial person who came in, he really was on top of it, let me know everything I needed to do, anything that I could potentially receive as additional assistance. And they handled it all, really. [There was] very little that I had to do other than physically be here when they came and basically get out of the way.”
Not only is he living comfortably, but his energy consumption is also lower.
Some of the insulation work done on Eric Melendez’s home. Photo by Collis.
“The insulation that they did on the walls, the internal walls and ceiling of my garage actually helped reduce my energy consumption because we burn with oil and, basically, I still have a full tank,” he said.
Melendez said that he thoroughly enjoyed working with Smart Energy Choices and Harasta for these improvements. He especially appreciated that Harasta called him after the work was done to check in.
“[That’s] something I really enjoyed because some people just come in, do the job and leave, and that's the end of the story. And I didn't get that,” he said. “I really got the return of, ‘How's everything going?’ And I found I was happy with everything that was installed.”
Thanks to his experience, Melendez encourages others like him to reach out if they’re facing similar issues.
“What would have taken me possibly two to three years between saving money and installing the stuff myself happened in two weeks,” he said. “Reach out, definitely, and at least get [an] assessment done, so you can be better informed as to where you stand.”
Contact your local CEA by visiting smartenergychoices.org/get-help.