Residential retrofit
Impactful home upgrades
What is a residential retrofit?
A residential retrofit is an upgrade to your home performed by a contractor, electrician or technician. Retrofits may include:
- Thermal envelope improvements, such as insulation and air sealing or new windows
- Water heating upgrades, especially transitioning to high-efficiency heat pump water heaters
- Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) improvements, including switching to heat pump systems
- Additional electrification upgrades, such as wiring or panel improvements, when needed
These upgrades help modernize your home, lower energy use and support long-term comfort and durability.
Why make a residential retrofit?
Comfort: Making sure your home is properly insulated and well-sealed is one of the most impactful retrofits to improve year-round comfort. By reducing drafts and heat loss that contribute to energy waste, these retrofits help maintain consistent indoor temperatures.
Sustainability: Switching to an efficient heat pump for heating, cooling and water heating can reduce your home’s carbon footprint. Heat pumps use less energy than their fossil fuel-burning counterparts, helping lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Health & safety: Retrofitting your home to remove combustion-based appliances, such as natural gas furnaces or water heaters, can improve indoor air quality. Electric systems eliminate combustion byproducts, reducing exposure to pollutants.
Efficiency: Pairing an efficient heat pump with improved insulation and air sealing can reduce the amount of energy your home needs to stay comfortable year-round. Lower energy use leads to lower utility bills.
How to start a residential retrofit?
Understanding how your home currently uses energy can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate upgrades alone. Efficiency Works offers free advising and low-cost in-home assessments to help you:
- Identify areas where efficiency can be improved & understand which upgrades will make the biggest impact
- Prioritize projects based on comfort, cost and goals
- Learn which rebates, tax credits and programs you qualify for
- Review project bids with confidence
Starting with expert guidance helps you create a clear path toward a more efficient, comfortable home.
Start your retrofit journey today
Take the first step toward understanding your home’s energy use and planning upgrades that improve comfort, efficiency and long-term performance. Button 1 content: Start with advising or an assessment.
FAQs
Where do I start?
Understanding how your home currently uses energy, and identifying where improvements can be made, can feel overwhelming. Efficiency Works offers free advising and low-cost in-home assessments to help you identify areas of improvement, prioritize projects and plan out retrofits that align with your comfort, efficiency and personal goals.
What order should I complete retrofits in?
Every home is different and planning out retrofits with an unbiased professional is recommended. A common best practice is to start with insulation and air sealing since they dramatically improve comfort and reduce energy waste. Efficiency Works advisors can help create a personalized, unbiased roadmap for your home based on your priorities and your home’s specific needs.
Are there resources to help me afford a residential retrofit?
Efficiency Works Homes offers generous rebates through the Retrofit Rebate program. It is also possible to combine, or “stack,” multiple rebate sources, including utility, state and federal incentives, to reduce your out-of-pocket project cost as much as possible. An Efficiency Works advisor can walk you through available programs and eligibility.
Where can I find a contractor to help me with upgrades?
To qualify for Efficiency Works Homes rebates, you must use a listed service provider. Browse our listed service providers.
Do I need to upgrade my electrical panel to complete a retrofit?
Not always. Some homes may require a panel upgrade or load sharing device with retrofit upgrades. A licensed electrician can evaluate whether an upgrade is required. If an upgrade is recommended, an Efficiency Works advisor can help you understand available incentives.
Home electrification
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