Simple Steps for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Certificate

Here is the step-by-step process for our Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program:

1. Enroll in LEAP's Home Performace with ENERGY STAR program.

Begin creating an online home energy profile and enrolling in our Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) program. Enrollment is free, and you may decide at any time that you do not wish to complete the program. However, to be eligible for rebates and your certificate, we will need your agreement. Also, enrolling officially in the program allows us to reserve your rebates for you – you will have three months to complete your home assessment and energy improvements.

2. Set up a confidential and free online profile on your home’s energy use.

Be sure to create a Home Energy Profile here on our website. By doing so, you will learn valuable information about your home’s energy use, and you will have the ability to share that information with one of our Participating Contractors.

• At this point, you may also want to see what financing you might qualify for through University of Virginia Community Credit Union’s PowerSaver loans.

3. Schedule a home energy assessment and get a $250 rebate*.

Once you have enrolled and set up your profile, contact LEAP about selecting a pre-qualified Building Analyst to schedule a home energy assessment. At the completion of your energy assessment, your Building Analyst will schedule an appointment with you to discuss the results of your report, which will detail for you measures to take, in what order they should be done, and what results you would expect to see from them. (*City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County residents only.)

4. Perform the home energy improvements - don't forget our financing options and up to $1,000 in LEAP cash rebates.

The next step will be for you to install energy improvements. If you are already working with a pre-qualified LEAP HPwES contractor, you can continue to do so. Otherwise, we will help you select one or more from the list to provide you with a job cost estimate based upon your home energy assessment report. Once you and your contractor have agreed to and signed the bid proposal, the contractor will share that information LEAP, and you are ready to begin work.

• Have the energy improvement measures installed. Once your contractor has completed the job, your Building Analyst will return to do a “test out.” He or she will run the same tests as during the “test in” for health and safety and to make sure the work was done according to what was specified. On a number of jobs, a LEAP energy specialist will accompany the Building Analyst and contractor during the test out to perform a quality assurance check.
   
• Once you and your Building Analyst have signed off on the job, your contractor will deduct your Home Energy Improvement rebate from your final invoice**, depending on the efficiency gains you achieved based on the improvements you have made.

5. Enjoy your investment in a healthier and more comfortable home.

* Please note, ONLY pre-qualified LEAP contractors can do work on HPwES jobs. To be eligible for a special LEAP Home Performance with ENERGY STAR loan buy down, like the 0% PowerSaver loan you must select a trained contractor from our program list.

**As of October 1, 2011, cash rebates for HPwES are based upon total job cost for energy improvements.