Join Today

Now is the time for Home Performance companies to join forces in support of a smart, market-driven approach to reducing residential energy use and creating green-collar jobs for American workers.

As a member of Efficiency First, you will add your voice to help our nation build a strong 21st-century clean energy economy.

Register Your Company
Join online or download a printer-friendly registration form to send in via fax or mail.

The Value of Membership

Efficiency First is made up of Home Performance member companies across America, working together to drive industry growth. Here's how we do it:

Advocating for Industry Growth:

• Pushing for national Home Performance priorities, including performance-based rebates, financing alternatives, utility data access and initiatives with federal agencies like the Department of Energy, with lobbying efforts led by our federal representative in Washington, D.C.
• State and regional Efficiency First chapter organizations to address local policy issues and focus on growing the local Home Performance market.
• Best Practices Working Groups where member companies and industry experts share what's working well for Home Performance programs and companies.
• National and regional public relations activities to build consumer awareness of the benefits of Home Performance retrofits.

Direct Value for Your Company:

• Keep in the know: Efficiency First e-mail updates, Webinars and conference calls will help you stay abreast of crucial policy issues. View previous and upcoming webinar topics.
• Discounts on products and services specific to the Home Performance industry, like tech tools, training, business insurance software, financing, industry publications and marketing services. View current member benefits.
• Your online company listing on the Efficiency First searchable member database will help potential customers and business partners learn about your service.
• The Efficiency First logo on your Web site and marketing materials will identify your business as an active member of America's Home Performance workforce.
• Educational webinars to help your Home Performance company succeed, on topics including Home Performance marketing strategies, options for customer financing, green MLS and more.
• Local networking opportunities and education about best practices in building science and Home Performance company management.

Membership Levels

Note: Online registration is not available for companies paying in monthly installments. Please download a printer-friendly registration form to send in, or call 415-449-0551 to sign up for monthly payments.

Home Performance Contractor

Contractor membership is a full voting membership open to companies or sole proprietors engaged in Home Performance retrofitting in accordance with EPA guidelines, including before and after testing procedures, combustion safety testing, and a house-as-a-system approach incorporating multiple remediation measures. Contractor members may be general contractors who oversee subcontractors, or businesses that run internal crews to conduct retrofitting projects on homes. Contractor members must be licensed and insured as required by their state or jurisdiction of operation. Join online today

Energy Audit Company

Energy Audit Company members are registered companies that provide detailed, quality assessments for homeowners and educate residential customers about energy efficiency opportunities. This is a full voting membership specifically for companies that are third-party HERS raters, energy auditors, home performance evaluators, and home inspectors. Join online today

Allied Supporter

The Allied Supporter membership category is for affiliated businesses and services that are not directly involved in Home Performance retrofitting. Join online today

Allied Supporter membership types include:

Nonprofit (Allied Supporter)

Nonprofit members include local training programs, energy efficiency groups and other allied organizations that play a key role in our work toward an energy efficient future. Join online today

Local Government (Allied Supporter)

Local Government members play an important role in increasing residential energy efficiency. Local Government members convene stakeholders and run programs to boost the number of home retrofits and energy savings in their region. Join online today

Allied Supporter - General

For other affiliated businesses and services that are not directly involved in Home Performance retrofitting, including training companies, consultants, program implementers and product manufacturers or suppliers. Join online today

Green Real Estate Professionals

EcoBroker members, NAR Green Designees and real estate professionals with other equivalent green certificationss. Green Real Estate Professional members do not provide Home Performance services or analysis themselves -- instead, they are real estate professionals interested in raising the efficiency bar for America's homes. Join online today

Supporting Sponsor

Supporting Sponsors receive all of the benefits of full Efficiency First membership including voting rights, along with:

• Enhanced promotion on the Efficiency First Web site
• Use of the Supporting Sponsor logo on your Web sites and marketing materials
• Access to sponsor-level conference calls regarding lobbying activities and energy policy.

Join online today

Capitol Circle

Members at the premier Capitol Circle level serve an integral role in shaping the future of the association, with direct input on policy decisions and lobbying activities at the state and national levels. Capitol Circle members have full voting rights in the association and participate in monthly legislative conference calls with the Efficiency First lobbyist and board members to discuss strategies and set priorities. Additional benefits include:

• Premier listing with company logo on the Efficiency First Web site
• Additional promotion with company logo on Efficiency First publications and marketing materials, including e-mail newsletters, blogs, Webinars and trade show displays.
• Use of the Efficiency First Capitol Circle member logo on Web sites and other marketing materials

Join online today or call 415-449-0551 to discuss Capitol Circle membership.

The Efficiency First Pledge

Companies joining Efficiency First are asked to make the following pledge --

My company pledges to support Efficiency First's principles:

• Recommend that each customer develop a whole-house energy strategy and implement improvements in the appropriate order to maximize the quality and effectiveness of the final result.
• Value integrity and honesty in dealing with people and their property.
• Understand how whole-house energy services, based on diagnostics and building-science, can result in deep energy savings while simultaneously enhancing indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and combustion safety.
• Ensure that employees and subcontractors have the appropriate knowledge and skills to effectively and safely implement solutions that will work well over the life of the home.

Are Efficiency First Membership Dues Tax Deductible?

Efficiency First is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(6) trade association that is actively engaged in lobbying federal, state and local governments on behalf of America's Home Performance workforce. Amounts paid to the association are not deductible as charitable contributions, but may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense, subject to exclusion for lobbying activity. Because a portion of your dues is used for lobbying (29 percent in 2010), that percentage is not deductible for income tax purposes. Therefore, 71 percent of your dues payment may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. It is important to check with your accountant, lawyer or tax professional to seek specific advice. Efficiency First does not provide legal or accounting advice.

Printer-Friendly Membership Forms

Click on one of the links below to download a printer-friendly registration form that you can send in with payment.

California
Connecticut
Oregon
New York
Maryland/DC
All Other States