I have always considered myself energy conscious. I buy energy efficient light bulbs, turn down the thermostat when I leave home and unplug my phone charger when I’m not using it. They’re only small things, but small things I know to have a big impact on my wallet.

In Norwich, Quaranta Energy Services (QES) - a subdivision of Quaranta Housing Services, supported by Opportunities for Chenango and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) - has made it its goal to lower energy costs for Chenango County residents, promote energy conservation and aid homeowners in the process. I was afforded the opportunity to work with QES Operations Manager Gene Seldon this week, performing a home energy audit simulation at a residence in the City of Norwich.

“It’s a process that typically takes three to four hours to audit an entire home,” Seldon told me, explaining that most anyone who applies to QES for a home energy audit is eligible to receive it free of charge, thanks to reimbursements to QES from NYSERDA. “Then it’s another six hours to the paperwork that follows. So when you have six or seven of these audits per week, sometimes it’s easy for us to get backed up.”