With the summer season heating up, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall joined Con Edison's Green Team at a Queens Village, New York, U.S., home to conduct an energy survey that will help the homeowner reduce costs and improve energy efficiency. Over 1,500 New Yorkers have signed up for the low-cost survey.

The Green Team, which includes experts from Honeywell, performs on-site visits and visual walk-throughs of homes, evaluating the lighting, heating and cooling equipment, and appliances for potential areas of improvement. The program is open to residential customers who live in one-to-four family homes in New York City and Westchester County, New York.

Ramesh Ganeshan of Queens Village is among the latest homeowners to benefit from the program, which Con Edison offers to its customers for only $50. Similar surveys can cost up to $300.

The company sent a Green Team member to Ganeshan's home to perform a walk-through assessment, where the specialist identified opportunities for efficiency improvements. The specialist also installed compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and a smart power strip — all part of the $50 investment. In addition, the team identified opportunities for other energy-efficiency upgrades, along with potential rebates from Con Edison that could total up to $1,000.

“I take great pride in my home and keeping it up to date, but I didn't realize how many efficiency opportunities there were until I saw the Green Team's suggestions,” Ganeshan said. “This experience revealed not just the simple energy-saving measures, like installing CFL bulbs, but it also opened my eyes to the other utility programs I could and should take advantage of.”

“I urge everyone contact the Green Team to find out which program is right for them,” said Marshall. “This energy-saving program can reduce homeowner bills, provide greater energy-efficiency and help our city to become greener. Thanks to Con Edison and Honeywell, an energy audit can result in expert advice on how to reduce energy costs.”

“Energy efficiency is a straightforward concept, but knowing what initiatives are right for a specific family or home can sometimes be a challenge,” said Cristina Coltro, Con Edison program manager. “As we head into the summer season, when homeowners typically use the most electricity, the Home Energy Survey is a simple and effective way to uncover energy-saving opportunities.”

“There are a variety of low-cost changes that pay significant dividends, but they are not always the obvious improvements,” said John Augustino, energy-efficiency program manager for Honeywell Utility Solutions. “Honeywell helps keep more than 150 million homes efficient and comfortable.”

For more information, visit www.coned.com.