How to Find a Reliable Energy Efficiency Contractor

An often-perplexing step of making an energy upgrade is hiring a contractor to do the job. As many businesses and homeowners discover, contractor bids and energy-saving estimates can be worlds apart. Not to mention every contractor conducts business differently, making it challenging to compare.

So how can you find a trustworthy one who has experience with energy efficiency? With the right research and due diligence, it shouldn’t be an aggravating process.

One good step is finding other businesses in your area that have performed similar types of upgrades and asking key questions: What company did you hire? Did they complete job by the promised date? Did they give you ample information on the estimated energy savings and potential utility rebates for the work they proposed? Were you satisfied with their work and the cost? Did you encounter any problems? Would you recommend them?

But not every business owner knows enough other businesses to consult. And even so, your search shouldn’t necessarily stop there.

Here are some good resources for help finding reliable contractors:

Review Sites – Web sites including Angie’s List, Yelp, CitySearch, and Google Local, offer reviews from people with real experience dealing with the businesses they’re reviewing. Some sites ask reviewers to rate their experience on a 1-5 scale, so you can get a sense of overall impressions, as well as offering anecdotal reviews. Be wary of relying too heavily on one glowing review. It’s a good idea to collect references from at least four or five people and preferably from different sources. Some review sites are free; others, like Angie’s List, charge subscriptions but may offer more reliable data. It’s also good to check with the Better Business Bureau to see whether the contractor has any generated any consumer complaints.

Contractor Lists – Some utilities and energy-related organizations provide lists of contractors so you can locate ones in your area. Xcel Energy, for instance, posts lists of various types of "participating contractors" in Minnesota. The Energy Star program also offers a list of “Energy Service & Product Providers” that you can search by state. ServiceMagic also keeps a list of “pre-screened” contractors. Keep in mind that some lists are simply directories of contractors and not necessarily vetted by the organization. And some Web sites may even charge contractors a listing fee. So it’s wise to find out what qualifications the organization uses for putting a contractor on the list.

Search Engines – Before choosing any one contractor, make sure you do a thorough search of the business name on Google or another major search engine. If it’s a common name (think “Smith Enterprises”), make sure you’re not confusing results with another business of the same name.

Professional Associations – Web sites for professional organizations often post lists of their members. Some of these groups “certify” their members; others do not. Again, it’s good to know how the organization determines who makes the cut. One association you might try in Minnesota, for instance, is the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association.

Need help in finding a contractor in your area? Energy Smart can point you in the right direction. Call us at (651)292-4652.