Have you had a Mass Save assessment of your home?

[MikePRU]

I did an audit with them about 3 years ago. The audit itself resulted in numerous energy efficiency ideas. During the audit, they replaced all my bulbs with cheap CFLs which take forever to warm up and I am now replacing them with LEDs on my own dime. They also put low flow aerators on my faucets and low flow heads in my showers.

After the audit I followed up on a number of the auditors suggestions. I signed up for air sealing (free). I did the suggested insulation work (I paid 25% of the bill) which included blown in loose fiber insulation and foam board where appropriate along with a foam attic hatch cover. I hired my own contractor to replace my boiler and received a $3,500 rebate from Mass Save. I also got rid of my hot water heater and switched over to an indirect tank ($500 Mass Save rebate) and I replaced my entire central air system duct work and all (can't recall the rebate I got but it was maybe $1K). Plus, I paid for the C/A, boiler, and hot water tank work with a 7 year 0% interest loan with no fees or closing costs and no lien recorded against my property (terms vary by lender so make sure you ask).

Most recently, I replaced all the thermostats in my house with "smart" wifi enabled units and I just sent in a rebate which will get me $100 back per thermostat.

[MMS02760]

I live in North Attleborough and was not eligible for a Mass Saves audit. This organization is funded by the major utilities and active in the towns they service. These utilities however do not service every town in MA. My town has a municipal electric dept and I have oil heat. I had to go through the Electric Dept in my town. They outsourced the audit to a 3rd party which made recommendations. I acted on some of the recommendations and had to schedule a follow-up with the audit company to confirm the work was done. I then had to complete a form and supply financial documentation for the upgrades. I got the maximum rebate from the Electric Dept which was tied to the amount spent.

[semiurbanite]

I had an energy audit scheduled with Next Step Living after meeting them at the local hardware store. Then i read their Yelp reviews and cancelled immediately: Next Step Living - 12 Photos - Contractors - South Boston - Boston, MA - Reviews - Yelp

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by semiurbanite

I had an energy audit scheduled with Next Step Living after meeting them at the local hardware store. Then i read their Yelp reviews and cancelled immediately: Next Step Living - 12 Photos - Contractors - South Boston - Boston, MA - Reviews - Yelp

I had NSL in for my insulation and air sealing work. They're definitely not that good at what they do. It was very clear to my that they just grab any Joe sitting on the corner and put them in the truck. These guys were sloppy and damaged the paint on my wall and trim in various places because they were extremely careless with the hose that blows in the insulation. When CSG came by to inspect the work, the guy said they did miss a few spots that were supposed to be sealed up.

My favorite part was that one of them found a dead bird in my attic. This giant muscle bound guy shreaked like some kind of scream queen from a horror movie all over a tiny little bird carcass. Instead of offering to remove it or at least offering me the chance to remove it, this dunder head decided to spray foam over it. When I found out about that I was less than happy. I put on some gloves and managed to scoop the whole thing into a garbage bag.

Anyway, these guys were sloppy but ended up doing a passable job at least in my house.

[flowbe202]

Wow...

I had an audit three years ago. Was going to install the dual- ductless Mitsubishi for heating and air. I

I thought I was just being my usual control freak when I looked into NSL's programs and chose not to go with them. Besides $$$$ costs they only reveal at end of the presentation, I wasn't getting the detailed answers I wanted on potential return and work scope.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by flowbe202

Wow...

I had an audit three years ago. Was going to install the dual- ductless Mitsubishi for heating and air. I

I thought I was just being my usual control freak when I looked into NSL's programs and chose not to go with them. Besides $$$$ costs they only reveal at end of the presentation, I wasn't getting the detailed answers I wanted on potential return and work scope.

I probably wouldn't trust them to do any work that's more complicated than blowing in a few inches of insulation. Even then keep an eye on them and make sure they put barriers where appropriate (chimney, recessed lights that aren't rated for insulation contact, baffles for soffit vents, etc). Also, make sure they don't leave any foam covered bird carcasses in your attic.