Santiago, a HUG Recipient, Shares His Experience on the Program

MHET’s Home Upgrade Grants (HUG) Program is revolutionizing the way that health and safety upgrades are made. The HUG program provides free wrap-around technical assistance to its participants so that each step of the process is as smooth as possible. 

Santiago, a recent HUG recipient, came to MHET through a friend. Like many homeowners, Santiago wanted to make changes to his house but time and financing were preventing him from starting these projects. He was having some trouble keeping his house warm in the winter and cool in the summer so when he heard that there was an opportunity to make free improvements to his house, he wanted to learn more. 

Santiago received a free home energy assessment which provided MHET and the partner contractor key insights into where Santiago’s home could benefit from energy efficiency upgrades. The contractor created a customized project plan for Santiago and from there, MHET helped Santiago apply for NYSERDA’s EmPower+ program, a state government agency that helps to provide home energy efficiency improvements. Thanks to MHET and EmPower+, Santiago was able to fully fund his project plan and complete the necessary work to make his home more energy efficient and comfortable! He recently shared his experience in a video message to MHET:

Mid-Hudson Energy Transition helped me get some work done at my house. The contractors were amazing, they were very knowledgeable and they took really good care of the house. So I’m very happy with the program and I recommend it to anyone who needs help with insulation or saving energy. 

If you or someone you know is looking to make home upgrades such as weatherization, insulation, asbestos removal, moisture and mold remediation, visit our Home Upgrade Grant Page to learn more about our program and submit your interest.

Lessons We’ve Learned from our HUG Program

Our Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) Program has already made a significant impact since launching in March of 2024. We received interest forms from 80 individuals. From those, 13 received a free home assessment, 3 projects were fully funded by NYSERDA’s EmPower+ program, and 4 received Home Upgrade Grants. Together, over $90,000 in grant funding has been distributed to Kingston families!

We are a one-stop-shop that guides our program participants through every step of the process. From reviewing energy bills, applying for government incentives, coordinating with the contractors, and answering all questions in between, we ensure our participants are supported, feel heard and are advocated for.

Some of the common health and safety upgrades that we are seeing while at the home assessments are insulation installation, bath fan replacements, air sealing, and domestic hot water pipe installation. These improvements can make drastic changes to a household and some participants have already noticed a difference in their home!

One Home Upgrade Grant recipient recently shared their thoughts on the HUG process:

He used two AC units at full blast to cool the home before.  He is now using one AC unit at half capacity and this keeps the whole home cool.  It is true today was not one of the hottest days, but this is a very notable change in energy use for the home.

If you are looking to make upgrades to your home, lower your energy bill, or just get started with a free home assessment, submit your interest using the link below and we will reach out to you as soon as possible.