Summary

New York State offers several active rebate programs that can cover a meaningful portion of the costs of insulation, air sealing, and window replacement for Central New York homeowners. The Comfort Home Program is open to any homeowner regardless of income, with incentives up to $5,000. EmPower+, formerly known as EmPower NY, offers two tiers of coverage for income-qualifying households. Lower-income applicants may qualify for no- or low-cost improvements, while moderate-income applicants can have up to 50% of costs covered, up to $6,000. Patriot reviews eligibility at every estimate visit.

If you’ve been putting off upgrading your windows, adding insulation, or sealing up air leaks in your Central New York home because of the upfront cost, there’s a good chance you’re leaving real money on the table. New York State runs active rebate programs that can cover a meaningful chunk of what you’d spend on these (often necessary) improvements. Some homeowners qualify for thousands of dollars in incentives. Others, depending on income, may pay nothing at all.

The team at Patriot Home Solutions wants to ensure that every Central New Yorker understands exactly what rebates are available to them and which ones they may qualify for. That’s why we’ve put together this reference guide so you never have to waste time again scouring Google for rebates that might not even apply to you.

New York Rebate Programs at a Glance

Keep in mind that all program details and amounts should be verified at NYSERDA.ny.gov or by speaking with a tax professional or participating contractor.

The Comfort Home Program

What It Is

The Comfort Home Program is NYSERDA’s non-income-based rebate program for seal-and-insulate improvements. Any New York homeowner can participate. It starts with a no-fee consultation with a qualified Comfort Home contractor who walks you through what your home needs and what you’re eligible for.

What It Covers

The program is built around insulation packages, with a separate window incentive available once air-sealing and insulation work is complete.

If you’re planning both insulation and window replacement, sequencing matters. The windows incentive requires that qualifying insulation work comes first. It’s worth mapping out the full scope with your contractor before starting either project.

Why It Matters for CNY Homes

The median home age in Syracuse is around 68 years (with many built around 1958), which means most homes in the area were constructed before Syracuse adopted modern energy codes. With January lows averaging around 17°F and a heating season that often lasts roughly five months, a home that leaks warm air through the attic or around old windows is burning money all winter. Ice dams, cold rooms, and high National Grid bills are all symptoms that insulation and air sealing address at the source.

EmPower+ Tier 1

What It Is

You may have heard of this program under its old name, EmPower NY. It was rebranded to EmPower+ when new federal funding expanded the program’s scope and increased the maximum incentive amounts available to qualifying households. The core purpose is the same, which is to help income-qualifying New York homeowners make their homes more efficient at little or no cost.

EmPower+ Tier 1 covers one- to four-family primary residences and starts with a no-cost home energy assessment.

What Tier 1 Entails

• Eligible improvements covered at no cost to the homeowner
• Upstate cap of $12,000 per project (higher with additional HEAR funding)
• Covers insulation, air sealing, and once those are complete, heating and cooling upgrades

What It Covers

• Air sealing and insulation (prioritized first)
• Health and safety items
• Electrical service upgrades
• Heat pumps and heat pump water heaters (after insulation is complete)
• No-cost home energy assessment included

Who Qualifies

Eligibility is based on household size and income by county. Central NY follows upstate income limits. Patriot can pre-screen your household by phone before the estimate visit so you’re not going in blind.

EmPower+ Tier 3

What It Is

EmPower+ Tier 3 (or moderate-Income) is a separate NYSERDA program for income-eligible homeowners in pre-screened areas. It starts with a free home energy assessment conducted by a participating contractor, which identifies where your home is wasting energy and what improvements make the most sense.

What It Covers

• Insulation and air sealing
• Heating system improvements
• Electrical service upgrades
• Other qualifying energy-efficient upgrades

How the Incentives Work

Eligible homeowners can receive a discount covering up to 50% of the cost of qualifying improvements, up to $6,000 per project for single-family homes. Two- to four-unit buildings may be eligible for up to $15,000.

Who Qualifies

EmPower+ Tier 3 bases homeowner eligibility on household income and geographic pre-screening. Not every address qualifies, so it’s important to check your eligibility through NYSERDA’s mapping tool (or ask your contractor) before getting started.

How These Programs Apply to Common Upgrades

Windows

ENERGY STAR®  replacement windows qualify for the Comfort Home windows add-on, but only after qualifying insulation work is completed. For EmPower+ households, windows may be included as part of a broader improvement package depending on the project scope.

Insulation and Air Sealing

This is where all three programs do their heaviest lifting. For older Central New York homes, a poorly insulated attic and an unsealed rim joist can account for a large share of heat loss over a long winter. Comfort Home covers up to $5,000 combined across packages. EmPower+ can cover these improvements in whole or in part, depending on income.

Doors

Doors aren’t directly covered as standalone upgrades under any of these programs. If you’re replacing a door or doors alongside other qualifying work, your contractor will be able to advise on whether the full project scope affects eligibility.

Roofing

Roof Maxx treatments and standard roofing work aren’t covered under these programs. That said, Roof Maxx costs a fraction of the cost of a full roof replacement, so it makes financial sense on its own.

A Real-World Example

Here’s an illustrative scenario. A Syracuse homeowner with a 1978 home pairs an attic insulation and air-sealing package with a 10-window replacement through the Comfort Home Program, with an ENERGY STAR® windows add-on rebate (which can’t be accessed without the air-sealing and insulation package).

Project Costs

Comfort Home Incentives

That’s nearly 47% of the project covered. On top of that, the homeowner can expect heating and cooling costs to be roughly 20% to 28% lower going forward, chipping away at the remaining balance over time through monthly savings.

How Patriot Home Solutions Can Help You Navigate CNY Rebates

Rebate programs can be confusing, and the wrong sequence of upgrades can mean missing out on incentives you’d otherwise qualify for. At every estimate visit, Patriot reviews which programs you may be eligible for, confirms that products meet program requirements, and provides documentation needed for rebate applications. If EmPower+ could be a fit, Patriot can pre-screen your household before the visit.

Contact us today for a free quote and ask about rebate eligibility. We’ll walk through it with you.