Senior Apartment Community Goes Energy Efficiency with Hutchinson

When your 20+ year-old HVAC units need an upgrade, who do you call? For Karl Heppard, Maintenance Superintendent at Taunton Run Village Apartments, it’s Hutchinson.

Located in West Berlin, NJ, Taunton Run Apartments features 108 first-floor, one-bedroom units for seniors 55 and older. Developed in the late 90s, the apartments’ original HVAC units were starting to show their age and Karl knew it no longer made sense to spend money on short term fixes. He was on a mission to find a long-term, cost-effective solution.

“As a low-to-moderate income complex, we wanted to make our residents’ energy bills as affordable as possible,” said Karl. “Their needs come first, and it was clear to us that the old system wasn’t worth putting money into. Finding an energy-saving solution became a top priority.”

After a thorough search, Karl selected Hutchinson who lined them up with an amazing rebate offered through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program’s (NJCEP) COOL and WARMAdvantage Program. Taunton Run tapped into a high-efficiency Tier 2 rebate of $600 per unit. The installation of 43 units saved Taunton Run $25,800 on the project.

“Hutchinson’s pricing was really fair and came in lower than any other bidders,” said Karl. “They helped me prepare the state-required forms and ensured it was a seamless process. They really blew away the competition.”

“When I saw the operation that was involved in replacing the units, I realized how much work it really is,” said Karl. “I could not have imagined having a smaller company with limited staff take on a project of this undertaking.  Part of being a good team is thinking of the needs of others. Hutchinson made sure to be conscientious of all parties involved, especially the residents.  At the end of the day, our residents are the most important to us. We’ll do anything we can to ensure they’re safe, happy and comfortable,” remarked Karl. “Hutchinson was on board with us and was incredibly respectful of the residents’ needs and time.”

Karl has nothing but praise for Hutchinson’s Field Supervisor James Davison and Energy/BAS Manager Joe Coyle

“All the planning that James and Joe did to make this project go smoothly, quickly and in a completely uniform manner was very impressive to me. It was second to none customer service. They truly went above and beyond.”

The installation of the 43 units is just the beginning for Taunton Run. Two more mass unit installations are on the horizon, and they know just who is right for the job.

“Our goal is to replace everything by 2021,” said Karl. “When the time comes to start replacing our next set of units, Hutchinson will be our first call.”