Who we are

Energize is a community-based energy efficiency program funded through Department of Energy (DOE) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) grants.
The program and its staff operate under the guidance of the Northern Westchester Energy Action Consortium (NWEAC), the member towns of NWEAC and local advisory groups with the invaluable help of our founders from the Bedford Energy Advisory Panel (BEAP) and the Bedford 2020 Coalition…

What we do

We help homeowners in northern Westchester County get energy efficient.  Sadly, the average New York home is wasting about 30% of the energy used to heat and cool it.  Our first step with homeowners is to help them get a “comprehensive home energy assessment” so that they know where their home is losing energy.  We then work to help homeowners make home “tune-ups” or “upgrades” so that they can save money, live more comfortably, and stop wasting energy!  We help homeowners find state certified, energy efficiency contractors, access state incentives and financing, and finally, secure quality assurance for the completed home upgrade work.

When we started

Energize Bedford launched in Bedford January 29, 2011.  A roll out to all 14 communities of the NWEAC is planned through 2012.
Efforts to secure funding for Energize were led by a group of community volunteers under the auspices of the Bedford Energy Action Panel, the Bedford 2020 Coalition and NWEAC. 
A handful of key stakeholder representatives worked for months to develop and submit the grant proposal as a joint effort of NWEAC and the Town of Bedford. Nationwide, only 40 municipalities won direct program funding. Only the joint Bedford-NWEAC proposal won funding in both the direct and sub-award categories.

Where to find us

Our main office is located at
666 Lexington Ave in Mount Kisco.

Walk-ins are welcome but it’s a good idea to call beforehand.

Contact us at:  914-244-7210

Tom Bregman, Director
Patrice Hauptman, Community Outreach and Development
Dick Kornbluth, Energy Coach
Heather Rae, Homeowner and Contractor Support and Trouble Shooting

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How we’re doing it

We provide great tools and resources to homeowners and the energy efficiency professionals who serve them.  Energize is constantly evaluating its processes and those of its participants, we work at the local and state level to develop best practices and hope to create the nation’s #1 place to find energy efficient homes!

As the economic recovery continues in the 2 to 3 percent range rental rates are projected to increase in both the residential and commercial sectors. Commercial space completions have been below absorption, and demand for commercial space has started to increase. Based on the currently available economic forecast, a modest rent growth for the commercial sector is projected. Additional details are available here.

George Ratiu, Research Economist

George Ratiu, Research Economist, writes regular economic columns and conducts research in the areas of commercial real estate, international investments, mortgage performance and foreclosures. He produces NAR’s Commercial Real Estate Outlook and manages quantitative surveys, including the Commercial Real Estate Quarterly Market Survey.