Revamping our company re-energized our bottom line!

Foam It Insulation used to have business highs and lows. We'd hire installers in the fall and lay them off in the spring. That is, until our owner Jonny Norton found out about the Home Performance with Energy Star, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) program.

Home Performance with Energy Star connects homeowners with contractors who are qualified to complete comprehensive energy efficiency upgrades. To qualify for incentives and low-interest financing, homeowners need to hire participating Home Performance with Energy Star contractors that are accredited by the Building Performance Institute (BPI).

"By earning our BPI accreditation and participating in the program", said Jonny Norton, "we began to get more work. The free home energy assessment has revolutionized our business. Now we look at the whole house, test gas lines for leaks, test the heating system for efficiency and perform health and safety checks. The whole-house assessment gives people a list of things they can do immediately and over time."

The upgrades pay for themselves. "Some homeowners aren't in a position to spend money they may not have.” said Jonny Norton, "But with the free energy assessment and the incentives available through NYSERDA, it changes the game. In nine out of ten cases, the energy savings more than pay for the energy upgrades."

Building leads, focusing on the future. “To keep our phone ringing, we run TV and newspaper ads. We also go to home shows. After we do a certain number of jobs through NYSERDA, they make cooperative advertising dollars available to help us. We want our name out there. The cooperative dollars basically double our exposure.”

Inside Foam It Insulation, the culture has shifted as well. Instead of just giving employees a paycheck, the company offers a career with opportunities to move up the ladder. “Several installers took the initiative to become BPI certified. Now they make more money for themselves and our company.”

Advice from Foam It Insulation. Owner Jonny Norton offers this advice: “Customers want comfortable homes and to save money on their energy bills. The free assessment lets them find out what they don’t know. Then they become part of the decision-making process to improve their home.

Be patient changing your business model. Our first year, we kept stepping on each other, trying to do business the new way. Once we had the right process, people and training, things started to take off.”

Located in Binghamton, New York, Foam It Insulation was the proud recipient of NYSERDA Home Performance with Energy Star Program’s 2010-2011 “Outstanding New Contractor” award out of the entire state of New York. Foam It Insulation also was recognized by the US Department of Energy with the 2012 Century Club Award for completing 100 or more energy efficiency projects through the Home Performance Program’s “whole-house” approach during the year.