Online enhancements make it easier to be energy-efficient consumers
NEW YORK—Con Edison recently expanded its popular Marketplace website (marketplace.coned.com) to make it easier than ever for customers to install and maintain energy-efficient appliances and products.
Along with Marketplace partner Enervee—which develops applications and services that promote energy efficiency for utilities and their customers—Con Edison is teaming up with the popular and respected online referral service HomeAdvisor to point customers to vetted contractors equipped to perform home improvement and product installation, as well as maintenance and repair services. Through HomeAdvisor, the site also enables customers to solicit bids from installers and helps users manage the overall buying process.
“This new feature … [makes] it easier for people to buy products that can help lower their energy usage and save money,” noted Cristina Coltro, who manages Marketplace for Con Edison. “Consumers can choose from HomeAdvisor’s list of contractors with the peace of mind of knowing those contractors have been screened for their reliability, integrity and business practices.”
HomeAdvisor verifies contractors’ licenses and credentials and performs a background check to determine whether there is any history of criminal behavior or civil judgments against them. More than 770 screened contractors are listed on HomeAdvisor’s site for New York City alone, with contractors serving more than 20 additional cities throughout the state.
To get to the HomeAdvisor platform from the Marketplace, a visitor chooses an appliance, such as an air conditioner, thermostat, dishwasher or other product. Once the visitor clicks on the product, the HomeAdvisor icon appears on the right side of the screen.
After clicking on the icon, the user enters a zip code and basic information about the project. The site provides quotes from qualified local contractors.
Marketplace launched in 2016 as a way to help customers find the energy-efficient products that are right for their needs. Visitors can compare products based on energy efficiency scores and pricing and take advantage of discounts. Residential customers also can receive personalized data regarding how much money they can save by installing solar panels.
Since Marketplace began, more than 1.2 million consumers have visited the site.
