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Follow through with customers

Following up on leads that result from your marketing and outreach efforts quickly and consistently will help your program convert them from interested parties to satisfied customers. Many programs found a sizable drop-off in action if they or their contractors were not able to follow up within a...
Tips for Success

Foster “word of mouth” communication from satisfied customers

Programs found that encouraging word of mouth outreach by asking satisfied customers to promote their program experience to peers helped attract more homeowners who completed energy upgrades. Referrals from neighbors and friends who are happy with their energy improvements can provide a good source...
Tips for Success

Language matters – use words that resonate with your target audience

Words have power, so many programs decided to use language with positive associations. For example, the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program encouraged use of the term "assessment" instead of "audit" to avoid the negative connotation of a tax audit. "Home energy upgrade" sounds more positive than...
Tips for Success

Motivate action through financial incentives and time-limited offers

Incentives can be the easiest approach to overcome motivation barriers and attract customers’ and contractors’ attention, as long as the upgrade and reimbursement processes are kept simple and easy to follow. Successful programs have found incentives help entice customers to complete upgrades...
Tips for Success

Marketing & Outreach: Working with and Learning from Contractors

Author(s)
Karen Villeneuve, NYSERDA,
Peter Krajsa, AFC First Financial Corporation,
Michael Rogers, GreenHomes America,
Matt Golden, Recurve
Publication Date
2010
Organizations or Programs
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Connecticut Solar Lease,
Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund,
Kentucky Home Performance,
AFC First's EnergyLoan Program

This webcast highlights programs that actively engage the contractor community in program design and implementation. Several contractors share their views on best practices for Marketing & Outreach.

Resource - Webcast

A Policymaker’s Guide to Scaling Home Energy Upgrades

Author(s)
State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network
Publication Date
2015
Organizations or Programs
EnergySmart,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Enhabit,
Mass Save,
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA),
Manitoba Hydro,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Michigan Saves,
Warehouse for Energy Efficiency Loans,
Austin Energy,
Efficiency Vermot,
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance,
Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star,
Build It Green,
Earth Advantage,
Elevate Energy,
Arizona Public Service (APS),
Pacific Gas and Electric Company,
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad

This Guide is designed to help state and local policymakers to take full advantage of new policy developments by providing them with a comprehensive set of tools to support launching or accelerating residential energy efficiency programs. The Guide focuses on four categories of policies that have proven particularly effective in providing a framework within which residential energy efficiency programs can thrive: incentives and financing, making the value of energy efficiency visible in the real estate market, data access and standardization, and supporting utility system procurement of energy efficiency.

Resource - Publications

Powering the New Energy Future From the Ground Up

Author(s)
Climate Solutions
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
Hailey's Community Climate Challenge,
EnergySmart,
Eugene Water and Electric Board,
Community Energy Challenge,
Hailey's Community Climate Challenge,
Jackson Hole Energy Sustainability Project,
Knoxville,
TN,
Oberlin Project,
Energize New York,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton,
Burlington Sustainability Action Team,
Gainesville Regional Utilities,
Hillsboro Solar Advantage,
Issaquah,
WA,
MPower Madison Program,
Solarize Pendleton,
Clear the Air Challenge,
Santa Fe,
NM,
West Union,
IA,
Sustainable Williamson,
CharlestonWISE,
City of Aiken,
SC,
City Green Initiative,
Kilowatt Cruncher Challenge,
Smarter Sustainable Dubuque,
Small Cities Climate Action Partnership,
City of Grand Rapids,
MI,
Town of GreenÞeld,
MA,
City of Keene,
NH,
Home Energy Affordability Loan (HEAL),
Clean Local Energy Accessible Now,
RichmondBuild Pre-apprenticeship Construction Skills and Green Jobs Training Academy

This report from Climate Solutions analyzes small- to medium-sized American cities that are using successful methods to further clean energy economic development. Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners that are featured in the report include Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Bedford, New York; Madison, Wisconsin; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. The report includes details on the how the featured cities funded their projects, found successful models to reach their goals, and to see which new projects are off to a promising start.

Resource - Publications

Better Buildings Neighborhood Program Grantee Incentives

Author(s)
U.S. Department of Energy
Publication Date
2012
Organizations or Programs
Atlanta SHINE,
Be SMART,
Beacon Communities Project,
BetterBuildings for Michigan,
BetterBuildings for Greensboro,
BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade,
Camden POWER - A Better Buildings Initiative,
CarrboroWISE,
City of Indianapolis Better Buildings Program,
Chapel Hill WISE,
CharlestonWISE,
Enhabit,
Community Alliance for Energy Efficiency (Cafe2),
Community Power Works,
Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge,
DecaturWISE,
Efficiency Maine,
emPowerSBC,
Energize Phoenix,
EnergyFit Nevada,
Energy Impact Illinois,
EnergySmart,
Energy Upgrade California,
EnergyWorks,
Fayette County Better Buildings Initiative,
Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA),
Huntsville WISE,
Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP),
Michigan Saves,
Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO),
NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
reEnergize,
RePower Kitsap,
RePower Bainbridge,
RePower Bremerton,
Richmond Regional Energy Alliance (RREA),
ShopSmart with JEA,
Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF),
Small Town Energy Program (STEP),
Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC),
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA)

This publication summarizes some of the incentives offered by Better Buildings Neighborhood Program partners.

Resource - Publications

Driving Demand for Home Energy Improvements

Author(s)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Publication Date
2010
Organizations or Programs
City of Houston's Residential Energy Efficiency Program,
Energy Smackdown,
Hood River Conservation Project,
City of Houston's Residential Energy Efficiency Program,
Jasper Energy Efficiency Project,
Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP),
Long Island Green Homes,
Marshfield Energy Challenge,
New London Resource Project,
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
Take Charge Challenge,
Twin Cities One Stop Program,
Efficiency Vermont,
WeatherizeDC

This guide provides an assessment of various approaches to Marketing & Outreach for home energy efficiency improvements.

Resource - Publications

Strategies (th)at Work

Author(s)
Mary Templeton, Michigan Saves,
George Clark, Energy Efficiency Contractor
Publication Date
2014
Organizations or Programs
Michigan Saves
Overview of Michigan Saves' employer outreach initiative to drive uptake of home energy upgrades.
Resource - Program Presentations & Reports

Content Type

  • Resource (6)
  • Tips for Success (4)

Resource Type

Program Components

  • Market Position & Business Model (7)
  • Program Design & Customer Experience (9)
  • Evaluation & Data Collection (3)
  • (-) Marketing & Outreach (10)
  • Financing (18)
  • Contractor Engagement & Workforce Development (5)

Program Design Phases

  • Overview (2)
  • Strategy Development (6)
  • Planning (5)
  • Implementation (9)
  • Evaluation (2)

States or Territories

  • Alabama (2)
  • Alaska (1)
  • Alberta (1)
  • Arizona (1)
  • Arkansas (1)
  • California (1)
  • Colorado (2)
  • Connecticut (3)
  • Delaware (1)
  • Florida (1)
  • Georgia (1)
  • Hawaii (1)
  • Illinois (1)
  • Kansas (1)
  • Kentucky (1)
  • Maine (1)
  • Manitoba (1)
  • Maryland (1)
  • Massachusetts (1)
  • Michigan (6)
  • Minnesota (1)
  • Missouri (1)
  • Montana (1)
  • New Hampshire (1)
  • New Jersey (1)
  • New York (2)
  • Ohio (1)
  • Oklahoma (1)
  • Oregon (2)
  • Pennsylvania (2)
  • Rhode Island (1)
  • South Dakota (1)
  • Texas (2)
  • Utah (1)
  • Vermont (2)
  • Virginia (1)
  • Washington (1)
  • Washington DC (1)
  • Wisconsin (2)

Organizations or Programs

  • Energy Upgrade California (31)
  • Enhabit (20)
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) (15)
  • Efficiency Maine (14)
  • Energy Impact Illinois (13)
  • Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge (11)
  • Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) (10)
  • Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP) (10)
  • Austin Energy (9)
  • Community Power Works (9)
  • Efficiency Vermont (9)
  • EnergyWorks (9)
  • RePower Bainbridge (9)
  • RePower Bremerton (9)
  • RePower Kitsap (9)
  • EnergySmart Colorado (8)
  • BetterBuildings for Michigan (7)
  • Energize Phoenix (7)
  • (-) Michigan Saves (7)
  • NOLA WISE (7)
  • Elevate Energy (6)
  • EnergySmart (6)
  • Focus on Energy (6)
  • NeighborWorks H.E.A.T. Squad (6)
  • Denver Energy Challenge (5)
  • Efficiency Nova Scotia (5)
  • Mass Save (5)
  • Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) (5)
  • Cambridge Energy Alliance (4)
  • CharlestonWISE (4)
  • ShopSmart with JEA (4)
  • Small Town Energy Program (STEP) (4)
  • emPowerSBC (3)
  • Energy Trust of Oregon (3)
  • Illinois Home Performance with Energy Star (3)
  • (-) Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) (3)
  • New Jersey Home Performance with ENERGY STAR (3)
  • Puget Sound Energy (3)
  • reEnergize (3)
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) (3)
  • Solar and Energy Loan Fund (SELF) (3)
  • Arizona Public Service (APS) (2)
  • Baltimore Energy Challenge (2)
  • Bend Energy Challenge (2)
  • BetterBuildings Lowell Energy Upgrade (2)
  • Clean Energy Durham (2)
  • CoMo Energy Challenge (2)
  • Energize Bedford (2)
  • Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (Me2) (2)
  • Missouri Agricultural Energy Saving Team - A Revolutionary Opportunity (MAESTRO) (2)
Residential Program Guide is a resource of the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office.
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