Homeowners across Westchester County are paying some of the highest electricity and gas rates in the country — and those rates are climbing. In January 2026, the New York Public Service Commission approved a Con Edison rate increase of 3.5% for electric and 4.4% for gas, with additional increases of 3.2% electric and 5.7% gas coming in 2027, and another 3.1% electric and 5.6% gas in 2028.
For a county where most of the housing stock is 50 to 100 years old, and where original single-pane windows are still common in neighborhoods from Scarsdale to Pelham, the question is no longer whether window replacement is worth the investment. The question is how much it costs you every month not to replace them.
This article breaks down the real numbers — actual energy savings, costs per window in our market, payback timelines, and the rebates that are still available after the federal tax credit expired in December 2025. All figures are based on Con Edison’s Westchester service territory rates and the window pricing we see on projects across the county.
The Short Answer: What New Windows Actually Save
ENERGY STAR estimates that replacing single-pane windows with qualified energy-efficient models reduces household energy bills by 7% to 15% annually. In a Westchester home heated by natural gas and cooled by central air, that translates to roughly $250 to $650 per year in energy savings, depending on the size of the home, the number of windows replaced, the condition of the existing windows, and which direction they face.
That range is wide because every home is different. A 2,400-square-foot Colonial in Larchmont with 20 original wood double-hung windows from the 1930s will save significantly more than a 1,600-square-foot ranch in Eastchester with 12 aluminum-frame windows from the 1980s. The older, leakier, and more numerous the windows, the higher the savings.
What Westchester Homeowners Are Actually Paying for Energy
To calculate realistic savings, you need to start with what energy actually costs here — not national averages.
Con Edison rates in Westchester County (as of 2026):
Con Edison’s standard residential electricity rate in Westchester runs approximately $0.25 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), combining delivery charges and supply charges. The average Westchester residential customer uses about 425 kWh per month, resulting in a monthly electric bill of roughly $106. Add in natural gas for heating — where Westchester residential customers average about 100 therms per month during the heating season at roughly $1.60 per therm — and the annual combined energy spend for a typical Westchester home sits between $3,200 and $5,500, depending on home size, insulation quality, and heating system efficiency.
Those numbers are important because they define the denominator in your ROI calculation. When we say ENERGY STAR-certified windows can reduce energy consumption by 7% to 15%, we are talking about 7% to 15% of $3,200 to $5,500 per year.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
| Home Profile | Est. Annual Energy Cost | 7% Savings | 15% Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,500 sq ft ranch, 10 windows | $3,200 | $224/yr | $480/yr |
| 2,200 sq ft Colonial, 18 windows | $4,200 | $294/yr | $630/yr |
| 3,000 sq ft Tudor, 25+ windows | $5,500 | $385/yr | $825/yr |
With Con Edison rates projected to increase another 6-7% through 2028, these savings will compound. The windows do not get less efficient; the electricity and gas they prevent you from using gets more expensive every year.
What Replacement Windows Cost in Westchester County
Window replacement pricing in Westchester runs higher than national averages due to labor rates, permitting requirements, and the construction complexity of older homes. Based on the projects we handle across the county, here are realistic cost ranges:
Vinyl pocket (insert) replacement: $450 to $850 per window. This method installs a new sash unit inside the existing frame. It is faster and less disruptive, but it reduces the glass area slightly and leaves the old frame’s insulation in place. Suitable when the existing frames are structurally sound.
Full-frame vinyl replacement: $800 to $1,400 per window. The entire window unit is removed down to the rough opening, allowing for new insulation, proper flashing, and maximum glass area. Recommended for homes where frames show rot, water damage, or poor original installation.
Full-frame wood-clad (Andersen, Marvin, ProVia): $1,300 to $2,500+ per window, including new interior trim and exterior waterproofing. This is the appropriate choice for architecturally significant homes in Scarsdale, Bronxville, Rye, and historic districts where vinyl is not suitable or not permitted.
Total project costs for typical Westchester homes:
| Home Type | Windows | Method | Est. Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranch (10 windows) | 10 | Vinyl full-frame | $8,000 – $14,000 |
| Colonial (18 windows) | 18 | Vinyl full-frame | $14,400 – $25,200 |
| Tudor (25 windows) | 25 | Wood-clad full-frame | $32,500 – $62,500 |
These ranges include installation, trim, flashing, and cleanup — but not structural work. If your home requires header modifications, enlarged openings, or sill reconstruction (common in pre-war homes), expect additional costs for that structural scope.
The Payback Period: When Do New Windows Pay for Themselves?
The payback period depends on what you spend, what you save annually, and whether energy rates continue to rise (they will).
Conservative payback estimate (using 10% savings):
| Project Cost | Annual Energy Savings (10%) | Simple Payback |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (10 vinyl windows) | $350 | ~28 years |
| $18,000 (18 vinyl windows) | $450 | ~40 years |
| $40,000 (25 wood-clad windows) | $550 | ~72 years |
Looking at these numbers in isolation, the payback period appears long. But this is a misleading way to evaluate window replacement — and it is the mistake most homeowners (and most contractors) make. Here is why.
Why the Payback Period Alone Is the Wrong Metric
The simple payback calculation above only accounts for energy savings. It ignores several other financial returns that window replacement delivers:
1. Home value increase. The National Association of Realtors consistently ranks window replacement among the top home improvement projects for return on investment. In the Westchester and Fairfield County market — where buyers are evaluating homes priced between $600,000 and $2,000,000+ — outdated, drafty windows are a visible deficiency that reduces perceived value and negotiating leverage. New windows in Westchester typically recover 60% to 75% of their cost at resale, according to Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value report for the Middle Atlantic region.
For a $20,000 window project, that represents $12,000 to $15,000 in recaptured value — effectively reducing your net cost to $5,000 to $8,000. At that net cost, the energy savings payback drops to 11 to 23 years.
2. Avoided repair costs. Old windows are not free to maintain. In older Westchester homes, we routinely see failing glazing putty, rotted sills, stuck sashes, broken balances, deteriorated weatherstripping, and condensation between glass panes. Repairing these issues window by window typically costs $200 to $500 per window, and the repairs rarely last more than 3 to 5 years before the next failure. Over a 15-year period, the cumulative maintenance cost of keeping failing windows alive can approach or exceed the cost of replacing them.
3. Comfort improvements with measurable value. Drafty windows create cold spots near exterior walls, force your heating system to run longer cycles, and make rooms feel colder than the thermostat indicates. New windows eliminate drafts, reduce cold-surface radiant heat loss, and allow your furnace or boiler to heat the home more evenly and with shorter run times. The comfort improvement is immediate and significant — especially in steam-heated pre-war homes where radiators near leaking windows are essentially heating the outdoors.
4. Noise reduction. Modern dual-pane insulated glass units reduce exterior noise transmission by approximately 25% to 50% compared to single-pane windows. In New Rochelle, Mamaroneck, and other communities near Metro-North rail lines, the I-95 corridor, or the Hutchinson River Parkway, this improvement has real quality-of-life value.
What About Rebates and Tax Credits in 2026?
Federal tax credit: expired. The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Section 25C), which provided a 30% credit on qualifying window costs up to $600 per year, expired on December 31, 2025. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, accelerated the sunset of this and other residential energy incentives that were originally scheduled to run through 2032 under the Inflation Reduction Act.
If you installed qualifying windows in 2025, you can still claim the credit on your 2025 tax return using IRS Form 5695. But for windows installed in 2026 and beyond, no federal tax credit is available.
NYSERDA incentives (New York State): New York State continues to offer energy efficiency incentives through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Programs change periodically — check nyserda.ny.gov for the most current offerings. Historically, NYSERDA has offered incentives for comprehensive home energy upgrades that include window replacement as part of a larger envelope improvement project.
Con Edison rebates: Con Edison offers seasonal rebates on energy-efficient home improvements. These programs vary by year. Check coned.com/en/save-money for current residential incentive programs.
Energize Connecticut (for Fairfield County homeowners): If your home is in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, or elsewhere in Fairfield County, Energize Connecticut (energizect.com) offers rebates for qualifying home energy improvements, including windows, when paired with a Home Energy Solutions assessment.
The bottom line on incentives: The federal tax credit is gone. State and utility rebates still exist but are smaller and more variable. The primary financial case for window replacement in 2026 rests on long-term energy savings, rising utility rates, home value recovery, and avoided maintenance — not on incentive programs.
Which Windows Deliver the Best ROI in Westchester?
Not all replacement windows perform equally. For Westchester County (IECC Climate Zone 4A), the Department of Energy recommends windows with the following performance ratings:
Minimum recommended ratings for this climate zone:
| Rating | What It Measures | Target |
|---|---|---|
| U-Factor | Heat transfer rate (lower = better insulation) | 0.30 or lower |
| Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) | Solar heat allowed through (lower = less summer heat gain) | 0.25 to 0.40 |
| Air Leakage | Cubic feet of air per minute per square foot | 0.30 or lower |
What we install and recommend:
For most Westchester homes, we work with Andersen, Marvin, and ProVia — brands that offer the performance ratings, material quality, and architectural styles appropriate for the housing stock in our service area. Vinyl windows work well for mid-century ranches and post-war Cape Cods. For pre-war Tudors, Colonials, and historically regulated homes in communities like Scarsdale and Bronxville, wood-clad windows from Andersen or Marvin match the home’s original character while delivering modern thermal performance.
We also recommend full-frame installation over pocket (insert) installation whenever the existing frames show any signs of deterioration. A high-performance window installed in a rotted frame with gaps in the insulation will not deliver the energy savings it was designed for. The installation quality matters as much as the product itself.
What Most Contractors Will Not Tell You About Window Replacement
Many window-only companies focus exclusively on the product and the installation. They do not evaluate or address the conditions around the window — and those conditions often determine whether your investment actually delivers the savings you expect.
Problems we find behind existing windows in Westchester homes:
Rotted framing and sills that compromise the structural support of the new window. Missing or deteriorated insulation around the rough opening that allows air to bypass the window entirely. Failed or missing flashing that allows water to enter the wall cavity behind the window. Stucco or siding damage at window transitions that creates moisture pathways. Out-of-square openings that prevent a new window from seating properly and require reframing.
A window-only installer typically does not have the carpentry, framing, or general contracting capability to address these issues. They install the new window and move on. Six months later, you still feel a draft — not because the window is deficient, but because the wall around it was never repaired.
As licensed general contractors, we evaluate and repair these conditions as part of every window project. Our approach includes full structural assessment of the framing, proper flashing and waterproofing at every opening, insulation of the rough opening to eliminate air bypass, and trim restoration that matches the home’s original profile.
A Realistic ROI Summary for Westchester Homeowners
When you account for all the financial returns — not just energy savings — window replacement in Westchester delivers a strong return:
| Financial Return | 10-Window Project | 18-Window Project |
|---|---|---|
| Project cost | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Annual energy savings (10%) | $350/yr | $450/yr |
| 15-year energy savings | $5,250 | $6,750 |
| Estimated resale value recovery (65%) | $6,500 | $13,000 |
| Estimated avoided maintenance (15 yrs) | $2,000 | $3,600 |
| Total 15-year return | $13,750 | $23,350 |
| Net ROI over 15 years | +37% | +17% |
These are conservative estimates. If Con Edison rates increase faster than projected, or if your existing windows are in worse condition than average, the returns will be higher.
How Peach 3 Group Handles Window Replacement Differently
At Peach 3 Group, we do not operate as a window-only company. We are licensed general contractors — which means we evaluate and address everything connected to the window, not just the window itself.
What makes our approach different:
We fix what others cover up. Most window failures are caused by the conditions around the window, not the product. We repair rotted sills, reframe out-of-square openings, replace damaged siding or stucco at transitions, and install commercial-grade flashing — work that window-only companies are not equipped to perform.
We have an architect on staff. For homes where window sizes or configurations need to change — converting multiple double-hungs into a picture window, adding egress windows to a basement, or modifying openings in load-bearing walls — our in-house architect handles the design, structural calculations, and permit drawings.
We handle permitting and code compliance. Window replacement often triggers egress requirements and NY State Energy Code compliance. We file all permits and coordinate inspections with local building departments across Westchester and Fairfield counties.
Owner-led on every project. Every window project is personally managed by the company owner — from the initial evaluation through final walkthrough.
Areas We Serve
Peach 3 Group is based at 44 Crosby Place in New Rochelle, NY 10801. We install replacement windows across Westchester County and Fairfield County, CT.
Westchester County, NY → Larchmont · Mamaroneck · Pelham Manor · Scarsdale · Rye · Bronxville · Eastchester · White Plains · Armonk · Bedford · Pound Ridge
Fairfield County, CT → Greenwich · Stamford (including North Stamford) · Darien · New Canaan · Westport · Wilton · Ridgefield
Ready to Find Out What New Windows Would Save You?
Every home is different, and the only way to get an accurate savings estimate is with an on-site evaluation. We assess your existing windows, identify hidden issues in the framing and insulation, recommend the right products for your home’s architecture and climate zone, and provide a detailed written estimate — no phone quotes, no pressure.
Call: (914) 451-8300 Email: info@peach3group.com Visit: 44 Crosby Place, New Rochelle, NY 10801