Q4, 2015 pilot program saved homeowners $16,000 in energy bills; eliminated 119 tons of greenhouse gases
CINCINNATI– City of Cincinnati Vice Mayor David Mann and representatives from Empower G&E announced today the city-wide launch of the City’s residential energy efficiency program, the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up.
The package is being offered exclusively to Cincinnati homeowners. The Empower Home Energy Tune-Up is a voluntary service being offered as a benefit to homeowners. “Our administration is always striving to develop, maintain and grow our vision of Cincinnati being a sustainable, energy-responsible community,” Vice Mayor Mann explained. “We have been viewed as a positive model nationally in this regard, and the introduction of new programs like these that help homeowners save money on their energy bills while also reducing the impact our energy use has on our environment is a continued priority for us.”
“The Green Cincinnati Plan focuses on projects that make Cincinnati more sustainable and build the local economy and improve the quality of life for Cincinnatians. The Empower Home Energy Tune Up is a great example of a program that benefits the environment, the economy, and our residents simultaneously,” added Larry Falkin, Director of the City’s Office of Environment and Sustainability.
Delivered first as a pilot program in October2015, the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up was designed in collaboration with the City of Cincinnati to be a low cost/high impact energy efficiency package for local homeowners.
“We knew it was essential to the City that we develop an energy efficiency package that could be delivered through a turnkey process at a cost that most middle-income homeowners could afford,” David Milenthal, Empower G&E CEO, said. “We met that goal, tested it through our pilot program, and have found the concept, process and overall package can have a dramatic impact on people’s day-to-day living expenses.”
The Empower Home Energy Tune-Up includes attic and/or crawl space insulation, air sealing of the home, LED light bulbs and an ecobee smart thermostat.
“This low cost package of insulation and air sealing is really the low-hanging fruit for saving money and energy. It’s also a first step in being able to introduce other products and services to Cincinnati homeowners that will help lower their energy bills even more,” continued Milenthal.
Vice Mayor Mann detailed the positive impacts that the Empower pilot program produced, which included homeowners saving a collective $16,000 on their energy bills, and eliminating 119 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, Empower has a positive economic impact on the City by hiring local contractors and employees. Recent economic impact statistics include:

• Employing 12-15 people at about $30,000/month total (full-/part-time employees, contractors and paid-on-performance partners)
• $5,000/month spent on local vendors like call center and office space

“Empower is hiring Cincinnati people, contracting with Cincinnati businesses, and has continued to prioritize this program as an economic benefit to the City of Cincinnati,” the Vice Mayor said.
The average homeowner spends about $2,500 on the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up package. That number depends on the size of the home. Homeowners are seeing annual savings on their energy bills of $300 to $1,000. The City of Cincinnati is also offering a $500 rebate to homeowners that install the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up.  Many homeowners see a return in as little as three years.
Financing is also available on the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up.
“As a team, we talk about the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up as being a no-brainer. It’s literally the only product/service that pays you back more than spend, and within a pretty short timeframe,” Milenthal explained.
“Over time, our company will continue to introduce energy-saving/cost-saving products to homeowners throughout the Cincinnati area. We’re at a tipping point – where homeowners have much more control and choice over how they use and spend money on energy,” Milenthal added.
“Empower’s mission is help bring forward the product and services that carry this promise.”
About the City of Cincinnati Aggregation
In 2011, voters gave the City of Cincinnati the power to negotiate on behalf of its citizens and small businesses for a favorable price from suppliers of electricity and natural gas. For residents in the aggregation programs, 100% green electricity is provided by First Energy Solutions and natural gas is provided by Constellation Energy Services Natural Gas, LLC.
Empower G&E was selected through a bidding process in January, 2015 as the official energy services provider to the City’s aggregation program.
About Empower G&E
Empower G&E is an energy services company that provides homeowners, small businesses and landlords of single-family dwelling units with products and services aimed at reducing the cost of traditional energy. Started in the Spring of 2014, Empower has won energy services contracts from the City of Cincinnati, the City of Cleveland and Southeast Ohio Public Utility Council (SOPEC), the energy aggregation entity for Athens County. Empower is committed to using contractors, vendors, sales people and energy experts within the local markets for which it operates.
About the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up
Empower G&E’s first package, the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up is a low cost/high impact energy efficiency package for qualified homeowners that typically need a little more insulation and air sealing. The package and the process by which Empower installs the package have been designated as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The City of Cincinnati is offering a $500 rebate to homeowners that install the Empower Home Energy Tune-Up.
Homeowners should visit EmpowerCincy.com or call 855-343-7884 to determine if their homes would benefit from the Home Energy Tune-Up package.