Drafts, cold floors and uneven temperatures — not uncommon problems for a house built 100 years ago.
Evan Clements and Precia Harthcock of Jaffrey love their 1926 home, but they acknowledge the drawbacks of houses built in that era. The room that is now their sitting room, for example, was once a porch that had been enclosed and is noticeably colder than other parts of the house. The second floor was much hotter than the first floor, and their kitchen was drafty.
That was until they weatherized their home, funded in part by rebates from NHSaves.
Weatherization — modifying a building to reduce energy consumption — involved sealing cracks, gaps, and holes around doors, windows, attics, and basements; upgrading insulation; and installing more efficient heating and cooling systems.
While weatherization leads to more comfortable living and lower energy bills, it requires upfront capital.
That’s where NHSaves helped Clements and Harthcock get started.
NHSaves is a collaboration of New Hampshire electric and natural gas utility providers that helps homeowners access energy-efficiency incentives. Clements and Harthcock used an incentive that offers up to $6,000 in rebates for overall improvement costs. If a project costs less than $6,000, NHSaves pays up to 75% of the total cost.
The couple began by conducting an NHSaves energy audit, which identified problem areas, offered solutions, and provided a cost estimate. The couple used Turn Cycle Solutions to implement the energy upgrades.
Michael Loughlin, an energy efficiency supervisor at Eversource, one of the NHSaves utility partners, said homeowners are often surprised by how much a few small adjustments can improve comfort and lower utility bills.
“Insulation and air sealing are often the big ones,” Loughlin said. “You want to tighten up the home and add insulation, so you’re not letting conditioned air out of the house. Those are the two biggest, cost-effective, and most bang for the buck in all of our programs.”
Loughlin noted that an energy audit helps homeowners prioritize effective projects. For instance, replacing windows is a common customer request, but it carries a high cost and a long payback period. Improving insulation and air sealing pay for themselves much faster.
Eversource helps homeowners complete about 2,200 weatherization projects annually through NHSaves, with about 1,000 more completed through other partner utilities statewide, Loughlin said.
Clements said the difference in their home was almost immediate.
“There’s not any cold spots anymore. Energy savings aside, the comfort and feel is just much better,” Clements said. “There was immediate, dramatic improvement.”
“The temperature is just overall much more stable,” Harthcock agreed.
Beyond comfort, reducing air loss provides measurable economic benefits. Homeowners typically see a 15% to 20% reduction in energy costs, according to Loughlin.
In Clements and Harthcock’s case, energy models estimated an 18% reduction in fuel use — saving about 73 gallons of heating oil and half a ton of wood pellets every winter. Based on July 2026 fuel prices, that equals an annual savings of $343.83 on heating oil and $190 on wood pellets, for a total of $533.83.
At those rates, the couple expects to recoup their out-of-pocket costs within six years, plus additional summer cooling savings. While they have yet to go through a full winter with the improvements, Clements and Harthcock say they saw an immediate reduction in their wood and heating oil usage.
That return is typical of NHSaves-financed projects, Loughlin said. Average homes see total project costs of $9,000 to $10,000, offset by the $6,000 NHSaves rebate.
Federal assistance is also available through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which targets low-income households earning up to 60% of the state median income. The program prioritizes people with disabilities, the elderly, households with young children, and homes with high energy burdens, providing services to roughly 32,000 homes annually with average savings of $372 per year.
The primary risk with air sealing a home is that reduced ventilation can trap moisture from cooking or showering, potentially leading to mold inside walls and attics.
“That’s one of the big things,” Clements said. “Particularly, old homes are designed to breathe. When you do a lot of air sealing, you can inadvertently seal in moisture.”
In fact, increased humidity in the couple’s attic caused minor mildew issues until they upgraded their exhaust system.
Harthcock and Clements encourage all homeowners — even those in newer or insulated homes — to start with an energy audit. The process is less overwhelming than they first envisioned, Harthcock said, adding that the application process was easier than expected and that the air-sealing and insulation work was completed over several days.
Loughlin said that once a resident applies for the NHSaves program, things typically move quickly: The application is reviewed within a few days, and an energy audit is usually done within two weeks of the application. A week after that, residents receive recommendations from the audit and can choose a company to implement them.
From start to finish, Loughlin said, the process takes two to four months, depending on contractor availability. For remaining out-of-pocket costs, NHSaves partners also offer 0% financing for qualified applicants.
More information is available at nhsaves.com or eversource.com.