New Jersey Natural Gas Receives Approval to Significantly Expand Its Energy-Efficiency Programs
Customized Solutions to Help Customers Manage Usage, Reduce Emissions
and Save Money
New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) today received approval from the New
Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to significantly expand its
energy-efficiency programs available through The SAVEGREEN Project®
(SAVEGREEN) to help customers better understand and manage their energy
usage, reduce emissions and save money. NJNG is authorized to invest
$135 million over the next three years to provide customized energy
solutions to assist residential, public entities, such as schools, and
small commercial customers save money on their energy bills.
“Energy efficiency is one of the most effective ways we can help our
customers save energy and money, protect our environment and create a
stronger and fairer clean energy economy,” said Steve Westhoven, COO of
New Jersey Natural Gas. “With today’s approval, we are committed to
helping support New Jersey’s clean energy agenda, advancing energy
efficiency and providing even more opportunities to help customers save.”
Beginning in January 2019, NJNG will roll out new and expanded programs
for the residential and commercial markets, with programs and features
available for low- to moderate-income customers and public entities, to
help eliminate barriers to energy efficiency and make the benefits more
accessible.
These new offerings include Home Energy Reports that provide customized,
easy-to-implement recommendations to reduce consumption and improve
energy efficiency to participating homeowners. A free, online home
energy audit also will be available to help customers better understand
their energy usage and opportunities for savings.
Also approved is a $49 Home Energy Assessment performed by one of NJNG’s
Building Performance Institute certified auditors. This comprehensive,
independent analysis is designed to help identify potential home energy
savings for customers. As a part of this assessment, auditors will
install low-cost energy-saving measures, such as insulation gaskets and
LED lightbulbs, and provide energy-saving tips.
NJNG will promote low and moderately priced energy-efficiency products,
such as smart thermostats and weatherization kits, through an online
marketplace. No-cost conservation kits will also be provided to local
foodbanks to distribute to their clients, helping ensure all customers,
particularly senior citizens and low- to moderate-income residents, have
access to energy savings.
For commercial and industrial customers, NJNG will introduce new
offerings to meet their specific needs, while continuing to support
specific commercial programs offered by the New Jersey’s Clean Energy
Program (NJCEP). Qualifying commercial customers implementing
energy-efficiency upgrades through NJCEP’s Direct Install and SmartStart
Building programs will be eligible to participate in NJNG’s On Bill
Repayment Program (OBRP) for no-interest funding for the amount of the
project not covered by NJCEP.
To help address the needs of smaller commercial customers, NJNG will
introduce SAVEGREEN on Main. This new program will offer qualifying
customers using less than 5,000 therms annually, a free energy
assessment — including a customized report summarizing energy-saving
installation options, upgrades and a cost-benefit analysis for future
improvements — to help identify potential energy-saving opportunities.
Customers will be eligible for upfront incentives and will be able to
finance the balance, up to $50,000, through NJNG’s OBRP.
NJNG also will offer tailored assistance to help reduce the energy
burden for nonprofit organizations and public service entities, such as
municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals. NJNG will provide
expert service, including an in-depth audit and energy-saving
recommendations, to those customers undertaking large energy-efficiency
projects, with no up-front costs. NJNG will buy down the simple payback
of the recommended energy-efficiency project costs for approved measures
and the remaining project costs may be financed through an OBRP.
Since 2009, NJNG has invested nearly $160 million in energy-efficiency
programs through SAVEGREEN, generating more than $392 million in
economic activity in its service territory while reducing greenhouse
emissions. Over the last decade, nearly 52,000 customers have
participated in SAVEGREEN, and the program has grown the green energy
economy in New Jersey for the more than 2,600 contractors who have
participated in the program.
The average annual impact for the typical residential heating customer
using 1,000 therms per year over the life of the program is estimated to
be $9.94 or 1 percent. If fully subscribed, the program will result in a
reduction of more than 1.5 million tons in carbon dioxide emissions.
About New Jersey Resources
New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR) is a Fortune 1000 company that,
through its subsidiaries, provides safe and reliable natural gas and
clean energy services, including transportation, distribution, asset
management and home services. NJR is composed of five primary businesses:
-
New Jersey Natural Gas, NJR’s principal subsidiary, operates
and maintains over 7,400 miles of natural gas transportation and
distribution infrastructure to serve over half a million customers in
New Jersey’s Monmouth, Ocean and parts of Morris, Middlesex and
Burlington counties.
-
NJR Clean Energy Ventures invests in, owns and operates solar
and onshore wind projects with a total capacity of more than 335
megawatts, providing residential and commercial customers with
low-carbon solutions.
-
NJR Energy Services manages a diversified portfolio of natural
gas transportation and storage assets and provides physical natural
gas services and customized energy solutions to its customers across
North America.
-
NJR Midstream serves customers from local distributors and
producers to electric generators and wholesale marketers through its
50 percent equity ownership in the Steckman Ridge natural gas storage
facility, as well as its 20 percent equity interest in the PennEast
Pipeline Project.
-
NJR Home Services provides service contracts as well as
heating, central air conditioning, water heaters, standby generators,
solar and other indoor and outdoor comfort products to residential
homes throughout New Jersey.
NJR and its more than 1,000 employees are committed to helping customers
save energy and money by promoting conservation and encouraging
efficiency through Conserve to Preserve® and initiatives such
as The SAVEGREEN Project® and The Sunlight Advantage®.
For more information about NJR:
Visit www.njresources.com.
Follow
us on Twitter @NJNaturalGas.
“Like”
us on facebook.com/NewJerseyNaturalGas.
Download
our free NJR investor relations app for iPad, iPhone and Android.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180917005776/en/
Copyright Business Wire 2018