New EnergyWorks Features Reduce Homeowners' Energy Usage and Saves Them More Money

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PHILADELPHIA, March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Homeowners in Southeastern Pennsylvania now have more incentive for increasing their home's energy efficiency and lowering their utility bills. The regional EnergyWorks program, which was launched in 2010 to assist residential and commercial building owners in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties with planning, financing, implementing and assessing energy savings projects, has added two new features available April 1 that will provide even more savings for homeowners.

To further accelerate home improvements that will reduce home energy usage and utility bills, ENERGY STAR certified replacement central air conditioning and windows will now be eligible for EnergyWorks' low-rate, energy efficiency financing. In addition, EnergyWorks will make the first six monthly payments on one of its low-cost loans for energy efficiency home improvements.*

All EnergyWorks projects are designed to produce increased energy efficiency of at least 25 percent, with many designed to reduce energy use by as much as 40 percent. Along with increasing home comfort and lowering homeowners' energy usage and bills, a whole-house or targeted EnergyWorks home improvement project – such as air sealing and insulation, upgrading heating and cooling systems, and other measures - can also improve a home's Home Energy Score (HES), helping to increase its resale value.

Homeowners can start the process of improving their home's energy efficiency and lowering their utility bills by signing up for a professional home energy assessment, available by visiting www.EnergyWorksNow.com or by calling 215-609-1052. After improvement opportunities are identified, EnergyWorks can help finance the project(s) with Keystone Home Energy Loans sponsored by PA Treasury and the U.S. Department of Energy. Certified EnergyWorks contractors perform the work needed, and an independent analyst provides a free follow-up inspection to ensure that the recommended improvements were correctly installed, and that energy savings are being realized.

For interested homeowners, all information regarding EnergyWorks can be found at www.energyworksnow.com. The EnergyWorks program is scheduled to end later this year.

*Limited to ten-year loan term for these qualifying EnergyWorks/Keystone HELP loans: Whole House, 0.99% APR, Advanced Performance 4.99% APR, ENERGY STAR 5.99% APR. Subject to credit approval by AFC First Financial Corp.

About EnergyWorks

The comprehensive EnergyWorks energy solutions program helps home and commercial/industrial building owners to find ways to reduce their building's energy use, and provides low-interest loans to help them pay for the improvements. EnergyWorks is a program of the Metropolitan Caucus, a coalition of Commissioners and Council members from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties and the Mayor of Philadelphia and is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Program. The EnergyWorks Commercial Building Loan Fund is jointly managed by The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) to finance energy conservation and efficiency improvements in commercial buildings throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The EnergyWorks program is described in full at it website www.energyworksnow.com.

CONTACTS:
Nancy L. Hohns, EnergyWorks
215-683-2160 / [email protected]

Elise Brown, LevLane
215-825-9644 / [email protected]

SOURCE EnergyWorks