_What We Do 

We will walk you through the process, make sure you understand your options, get you the best value through a bidding process, find you the lowest financing rates and make sure the job is done right.

How We Save You Money 
• Help you to understand how energy flows through your house, and what the best course of action is to reduce energy consumption and save money.
• Help you to avoid costly mistakes and unnecessary technologies.  We make sure the work is done right.
• Ensure that you get all of the state and federal incentives and rebates that you are eligible for.
• Undertake a bidding process, when appropriate, to get the best price for the major aspects of the work.  This process alone has saved HEA clients up to $10,000.
• We possess an extensive knowledge of building science, energy efficiency, renewable energy and home energy systems.  If we do not have an answer to your question, we usually know what local, regional or national expert does.
• Perform financial assessments on your proposed project(s) to help you to understand how much money you can save, including return on investment (ROI), cash flow analysis and payback period calculations.
• Help you to find the best and cheapest financing option if financing is needed for your project.
Teach you how to obtain the full appraised value for the energy improvements that you undertake when & if you ever sell the house.
• Teach you about the unintended external costs and problems associated with certain technologies and practices.
• Help you to steer clear of snazzy technologies that look quite good on paper but are unreliable, perform poorly or are not cost effective.
• Help you to avoid unscrupulous contractors who inflate their prices or do shoddy work.  Because we know and have worked with many of the tradespeople in the field of energy conservation and renewable energy in Southeastern Vermont we can recommend the best contractors to our clients.
• Information on discount prices of heating fuels.
• Home Energy Advocates is developing relationships with the manufacturers of high-quality energy-related equipment that has proven its effectiveness over time.  This will translate into discounts for our clients who choose those technologies, which include solar photovoltaic systems and Window Quilts.

Home Energy Advocates Works for You

The most common reason that Home Energy Advocates is hired is because many homeowners are simply bewildered at undertaking an energy retrofit project.  People are easily confused when they try to figure out what makes sense.  Building science is a complex field, and the technologies and players are constantly changing.  Having an independent expert helping to sort through all of the technical issues, economic constraints, and  financing options can make the difference between a major home energy project happening, or not.  When a homeowner tries to go it on their own all too often a creeping paralysis sets in, whispering in their ear "It's not so bad, fuel prices might come down again.  Just put on another sweater."

Other reasons for hiring Home Energy Advocates include the following:

• An energy audit has been performed, but the homeowner does not understand it.  All of the numbers and recommendations are confusing, and it is hard to trust that the projected savings will actually happen.  HEA can walk you through all of the details and get them to make sense.
• The homeowner wants to have the work done, but has no idea how to finance it.  HEA can find you the best loan terms for your project and show you how it will start saving you money from day one.
• The homeowner does not understand the contracting and building process.  Many people can really benefit from having an independent advocate initiate a bidding process, interview all of the contractors and make recommendations for which one to go with.
• HEA will oversee the work to make sure it is all done properly.
• HEA is familiar with a number of technologies that the average home insulator is unlikely to recommend.  From solar energy to heat pumps, window quilts to pellet stoves, HEA can walk you through to an understanding of what really makes sense for your home and lifestyle based on your project's goals and constraints.
• Lastly, HEA is independent and will be working solely for you, the homeowner.  We look out for your interests and help you to meet your goals.  Well, actually, truth be told, we do have two other entities that we feel beholden to -- future generation and the Earth.  Our corporate mission is to help people do all that we can to reduce our contribution to global climate change.  With that said we will always honor our client's goals, objectives and budget limitations.

 There is a risk associated with taking out a loan of the size needed to do a substantial energy retrofit.  Home Energy Advocates understands this.  At the same time, there might be an even bigger risk in not doing anything.  This is true on an individual level as well as a societal level. 

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Our Process - A Better Way

1. Help You to Set Goals
2. Find a Reputable and Accredited Home Energy Auditor
3. Provide Independent Advice on Audit Results
4. Recommend Innovative Technologies
   
5. Find the Best Solution for Your House
6. Find the Right Financing Option for You
7. Oversee the Bidding and Contracting Processes
8. See the Work Though to Completion

What You Can Expect From Us

1. Home Energy Advocates (HEA) helps the homeowner to determine a set of goals and objectives for the project and identify whatever constraints are involved.
2. HEA finds a Building Performance Institute certified home energy auditor for the building energy audit and helps the homeowner to get whatever rebates and incentives are available for the audit.
3. The audit is performed, resulting in a list of possible energy improvements.
4. HEA goes over the list of options with the homeowner in light of the objectives and constraints.  All of the technical details are explained as well as the estimated cost of each measure, energy savings, payback period and return on investment (ROI).
5. HEA discusses with the homeowner a number of energy technologies outside of a standard energy audit to see if any might be appropriate for the home, including solar, heat pumps, pellet stoves, heat recovery ventilators, masonry heaters, etc.
   
6. HEA walks the homeowner through a number of financing options.  The homeowner chooses one with the lowest interest rate that best meets the project’s goals, objectives, constraints and budget.
7. HEA assists the homeowner in getting the best possible financing.
8. HEA oversees a bidding process where different contractors submit bids for the project(s), thereby getting the homeowner the best possible value.
   
9. The homeowner picks the contractor with the lowest bid or the one that they like best.
10. Work is begun.  HEA oversees the it to make sure the different measures are all completed properly.
11. Homeowner’s heating bills and carbon footprint go down by a lot, hot water starts coming off of the roof and/or electricity starts to flow from the homeowner's house back into the grid.

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Find the Right Vendor for You

We'll find the right person for your job and help manage the process every step of the way.

We work for you, the client, exclusively!

Who We Work With

Home Energy Advocates works with a number of different home energy auditors, contractors, weatherization companies, solar installers, heat pump contractors, carpenter-builders, consultants and building science organizations throughout Southeastern Vermont and the Connecticut River Watershed.  We have developed relationships with a number of companies in order to bring our clients discounted products and services, such as solar panels and Window Quilts.