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What is the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® (HPwES) Program?

Oxford Energy

The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program (HPwES) uses a "whole-house" approach to make existing single family homes and low-rise multifamily buildings more energy efficient.

The HPwES Program provides most homeowners with 100% funding and 0% interest with On-Bill Repayment options necessary to upgrade an existing home to an ENERGY STAR home.

The "whole house" approach to energy efficiency not only means upgrading your old equipment, but also air sealing and insulation upgrades resulting in an improved comfort and lowered energy bills.

Oxford Energy

Utility companies we work with:

Utility companies we work with:

NJ Utility Companies

The New Jersey HPwES® Funding & On-Bill Repayment Expires on:

December 31, 2024

Proud to announce

NJ HPwES Acheivement

For every 4.5 houses that go through The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program, the equivalent of one house's total energy usage can be completely taken off the electric grid!

houses
houses upgraded since 2006
Houses removed from grid

improved comfort

With upgraded HVAC, insulation and air sealing, HPwES brings you a better at-home heating and cooling experience.

total energy savings

HPwES program can reduce your energy usage up to 30%, turning your house into a success story.

$0 out-of-pocket cost

Many eligible homeowners can qualify for 100% funding by their utility company!

peace of mind

We only install the most reliable equipment with 10+ years manufacture's warranty.

Sample Report Oxford Energy

Your Home Energy Report

The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR assessment is the first step towards making your home more comfortable, energy efficient and reducing energy bills. Features to be assessed include but are not limited to heating, cooling, water heating equipment, insulation levels, and air leakage. Call us at 1-833-479-3746 (1-833-HPWES-HOME) to check if you are qualified for the program.

Home Energy Score

The Home Energy Score is developed by The U.S. Department of Energy to provide home owners directly comparable information about a home’s energy usage. Like a miles-per-gallon rating for a car, the Home Energy Score is based on a standard assessment of energy-related assets to easily compare energy use across the housing market.

Want to know your home's energy score? Schedule a courtesy visit today!

Home Energy Score
Pearl Certification - Oxford Energy

Pearl Certification

Pearl is the only market-based firm approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to administer the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program for existing homes. Pearl Certified Homes can sell for 5% or more when marketed properly (see the data).

Why Is The Room Over The Garage Always So Cold or So Warm?

There are several factors that can cause the room over the garage to be cold in winter or warm in summer. 

Wall Insulation – Some rooms over garages have “knee walls” (i.e., walls with open attic space behind), the insulation in a knee wall is often left exposed on the attic side, which degrades the effectiveness of the insulation. 

Floor Insulation Houses in New Jersey prior to 2007 were built to comply with the 1995 CABO MEC Energy Code, which required insulation to be installed under rooms over a garage but with no requirement on the quality of its installation, the insulation was poorly installed down on the garage ceiling. 

Airflow – in houses with only one furnace in the basement, this room is the furthest from the furnace, resulting in longer duct runs and more bends than the ducts that serve the other rooms, thus reducing the amount of heating airflow that reaches this room.

Oversized Equipment –  In many old houses, the furnaces typically have 50% or more heating capacity that the home requires. The room where the thermostat is located reaches the set temperature causing the system to shut down long before enough heat reaches the furthest rooms from the furnace. Houses with forced air heating systems are comfortable when the system is running, then start to cool down when the system shuts off, oversized systems result in this heating / cooling cycle to happen more frequently than a proper sized system.

(Read full article)

Size Of Equipment: Why Am I Receiving Smaller Size Of Equipment Than What I Had Before?

As required by New Jersey building codes, Oxford Energy has specified the right sized heating and cooling equipment for your home in accordance with the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual S based on building loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J heating and cooling calculation methodologies. At the time your home was built, or your system was replaced, either the building codes did not require right sizing or there was a deficiency in enforcement. Right sizing the equipment is an essential step to maximizing energy savings and the comfort of the occupants.

 

Existing furnaces have up to 50% or more heating capacity than the home requires, therefore resulting in the furnace blasting a large amount of heat for a short period of time. This blast of heat causes the temperature in the room where the thermostat is located to reach the set temperature quickly causing the furnace to shut down long before enough heat reaches the farthest rooms in the house from the system. Houses with forced air heating systems are comfortable, or over heated, when the system is running, then cool down when the furnace shuts off. An oversized furnace results in this heating / cooling cycle to occur more frequently than a right sized system. A right sized furnace maximizes your comfort by extending the time the system runs to deliver and circulate the heated air in the home, providing more even temperatures throughout, even in the farthest rooms. The longer furnace run time does not increase natural gas usage, the amount of natural gas used is determined by the home’s heating load and the efficiency of the system.

 

An oversized air conditioner results in a decrease in the system’s ability to properly dehumidify, causing an uncomfortable cool humid feeling, homeowners often mistake this as their air conditioner being too small. In addition, new highly efficient air conditioners require the system to run longer than older inefficient systems to achieve a cold indoor coil necessary to remove moisture from the air. A right sized air conditioner at startup expends most of its effort toward dehumidification, as humidity levels decrease the system then cools very efficiently. An oversized unit is deficient at dehumidification and mostly just cools the air in the home.

 

Oxford Energy has reviewed all pertinent information regarding the obtainable details of your home, the heating and cooling load calculations, and the size of the equipment in your Scope of Work. Oxford Energy stands by the specified equipment as being the right sized systems for your home to maximize energy savings and your comfort.

What Am I Getting The System With Different Model Number?

Effective January 1, 2023, the Department of Energy has mandated new minimum efficiency standards. These changes will impact newly manufactured air conditioners and heat pumps that may affect the system(s) installed in your new home.

NEW TESTING STANDARDS

Today, home heating and cooling systems use a testing procedure, the M Standard, to rate their energy efficiency. The cooling efficiency of air conditioners and heat pumps are measured in Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER), and the heating efficiency of heat pumps are measured in Heating Season Performance Factor (HSPF).

Beginning in 2023 the Department of Energy will measure energy efficiency with a new testing procedure known as the M1 Standard. This new testing procedure will produce energy efficiency ratings that use new terms to describe energy efficiency: SEER2, and HPSF2. The M1 Standard produces SEER2 and HSPF2 ratings that have lower numerical values compared to the M standard. For example, a system that is rated 16 SEER using M Standard would achieve approximately 15.2 SEER2 under M1 Standard.

Your replacement will still come with a reliable HVAC system from TRANE, whether your system has an M standard or M1 standard system, that adheres to Department of Energy requirements for energy efficiency.

This means starting from January 2023, as Department of Energy converting efficiency ratings to SEER2/EER2 standards, model numbers and efficient ratings are subject to change.

Why Should You Replace Your “Atmospherically Vented” Water Heater?

“Atmospherically vented” water heaters with metal flue pipes raise a lot of combustion-related safety risks, including vulnerable appliances, pressure imbalance, back drafting etc.

Furthermore, water heaters are the second highest source of energy usage in the home, but ENERGY STAR certified water heaters reduce up to 50% of energy usage.

It is not suggested in the New Jersey Clean Energy guideline that leaving any "Atmospherically vented" water heater in the house if the house is going through the "whole-house" design approach.

We choose ENERGY STAR® certified products like The Rinnai Sensei tankless water heating system that provides endless hot water with much less energy consumption.

What Can I Expect With The 2023 Electric Incentives Through The New Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)?

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA or Act) is a recently passed U.S. law designed to advance clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through support for investment in domestic energy production, energy efficiency and beneficial electrification. The legislation provides over $9 billion in rebates and tax credits to help households install important home upgrades, increase energy efficiency, and use renewable energy.

Homeowners and landlords of single- and multi-family homes can benefit from savings with the Home Energy Performance-Based, Whole-House rebate program (the HOMES rebate program). Program eligibility is not income-based and instead measures the actual performance of your whole-home energy efficiency and electrification improvements.

Further details will be developed as the U.S. Department of Energy issues guidance to states and New Jersey HPwES sponsors' announcements on program offerings.

If you have any further questions about the Inflation Reduction Act, we suggest you consult your CPA for more questions.

BENEFITS OF HPwES PROGRAM with Oxford Energy

$0 Up front cost

You may qualify for 100% funding through your utility company after the energy assessment.

Peace of mind

Oxford Energy is a "Turn Key" full service facilitator of the HPwES program. We treat every customer's home as if our very own!

Total Energy Savings

With upgraded energy efficient homes, customers can reduce their annual utility usage up to 30%.

10+ Years manufacturer’s warranty

We only install the most reliable equipment with 10+ years manufacture's warranty.

Comfort

Do you experience temperature differences in your home? Drafty areas? Air sealing, insulation and proper sized HVAC equipment will help to remove most hot and cold spots throughout your home.

Healthy

The "whole-house" approach to energy efficiency can improve indoor air quality and mitigate asthma, allergies and other health-related issues.

Certification

You will receive your official Home Energy Score and Pearl Certification which can increase your home's value with national recognition.

Better Planet

Heating and cooling upgrades can remediate R-22 refrigerant and its harmful effects on the Ozone layer and reduce the global carbon foot print.

ENERGY STAR® Century Club Awards

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OFFICE LOCATIONS

Office_Oxford Energy_ pics

Short Hills Office

830 Morris Turnpike,

4th Floor Suite 401

Short Hills, NJ 07078

973-671-1035

Hainesport Office

4403 Sylon Blvd,

Hainesport, NJ 08036

1-833-HPWES-HOME

Toll-free: 1-833-479-3746