Suffolk sets rules for home energy audits

A bill aimed at protecting consumers from deceptive claims by home energy contractors has been approved by the Suffolk County Legislature.

The law, approved Tuesday, sets standards for the burgeoning home-energy audit industry, which uses sophisticated equipment to identify energy-wasting problems in homes, such as drafts, inefficient appliances, and even safety issues. Repairs often cost thousands of dollars, but can save hundreds or more a year.

Legis. Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon), who sponsored the bill, said contractors whose methods fall short of the standard and whose work is often not eligible for green-energy program rebates, are the targets of the bill.

"We've been hearing that there are complaints out there," Horsley said of consumers who have had the work done only to find out it was not complete or not eligible for rebates. "It's all over Long Island."

The new law requires that contractors who use the term "home energy audit" in advertising and other promotional materials be officially certified by one of several standards bodies to perform the tests. Such contractors will also have to register with the Suffolk Department of Consumer Affairs. Fines for violations start at $750.

Neal Lewis, director for the Sustainability Institute of Molloy College, which pushed for and helped devise the standards, said they're important now because a state program to make the audits free for customers is about to begin.

Seven towns (Babylon, Brookhaven, Huntington, Islip, North Hempstead, Smithtown and Southampton) will help direct homeowners to the Green Jobs/Green New York program, which will fund the audits.

"A person shouldn't think they got a home energy audit if it's just an insulation sale," said Lewis. "They may find they don't qualify for rebates," pending federal tax credits, he said.

The Suffolk law is scheduled to take effect in the spring. Lewis said Nassau County is working on a similar bill.

Lewis, a LIPA trustee, advised homeowners to check with the Suffolk Department of Consumer Affairs, which will keep a list of certified home energy auditors, to see if their auditor is legitimate once the law takes effect. They can also check for certified auditors through LIPA.

LIPA vice president of environmental affairs Michael Deering praised the Horsley bill, which he said will "not only protect Suffolk residents from fraudulent energy audits, but will create a higher standard for the clean energy industry."