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California Energy Services reviews
• updated MAR 3, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
We found a company that abandoned a job mid-repair, left a customer without heat for a month while dodging calls, then blamed the homeowner for complaining. One reviewer contacted the company at least 10 times about a missing furnace part with zero response, only to receive an email accusing them of using abusive language and refusing payment. Another discovered after spending tens of thousands that the county was threatening a lien because the company never finished their electrical inspection, despite two years of follow-up attempts. The window division looks even worse. We noticed a pattern where installers routinely skipped insulation around window frames, hired cheap subcontractors to handle overflow work, then ghosted customers when leaks appeared. One homeowner paid $10,000 for new windows only to find dry rot spreading around a temporary window the company left unsealed for two months while rain soaked the walls. The same reviewer never received a promised $150 referral fee even after sending a neighbor their way. If you're weighing this company against others, know that responsiveness vanishes the moment your check clears.
If you want a contractor who'll actually return your calls after taking your money, keep looking. We found too many stories of jobs left half-finished, warranty disputes that ended with the owner walking away, and customers stuck chasing down basic fixes for months.
3 Stories That Stood Out
In November, Randy M. discovered his home heater had failed — a frustrating setback for someone who had paid CES about $18,000 for energy upgrades eight years earlier and expected reliable service. He called the same company for help; the technician diagnosed a part that needed ordering and charged $169 for the visit. Weeks passed with little communication, and Randy left multiple messages before learning the part was “on order” with no ETA. Roger Kilby, the owner, had already told him the needed parts would be covered under the Trane warranty, so he felt relieved — until the follow-up visit. When the tech returned to install that first replacement, he climbed down from the attic and discovered the blower motor had failed and would also need ordering. Randy pushed back, upset that a second failure hadn’t been detected earlier; the tech maintained it couldn’t have been known until the new part was installed. The tech left without asking for any payment and without providing details about the next part or timeline. Randy expected the company to follow up, but after a month of being without heat he left at least ten messages and received no callbacks. Eventually Randy found an email
K J. spent about $10,000 having windows and a water heater replaced on her home and expected a smooth project. Marcus Filippi opened the sale with quick, helpful communication, but during the actual work he largely vanished and important instructions never reached the crew. The installers themselves did a good job, but problems showed up afterward: the new water heater delivered very low hot water and no hot water in the master bathroom, and the crew only returned to correct it after about two weeks. The company also ordered the wrong-sized kitchen window, so workers installed a temporary, unsealed window; after weeks of rain that allowed moisture in, K J. discovered dry rot around the window trim. It took nearly two months before the correct window was finally installed. K J. also referred her neighbor, who encountered similar gaps in service and communication; because the neighbor is elderly she couldn’t easily leave a review and felt the company ignored her calls unless she dialed from a different number. The last straw was a promised $150 referral fee: K J. reached out about it and Marcus acted oblivious, and two months later the check still hadn’t arrived. The lasting takeaway
James invested tens of thousands of dollars in a full-home upgrade — solar panels, new heating and air, and a replacement water heater — but the installation experience collapsed into a long-running mess. He ended up with a water heater that nearly caught fire and had to be repaired by an outside vendor after Roger ignored repeated calls for help over a Christmas weekend. The solar portion dragged through multiple inspection attempts, costing him missed work days, and the EV circuit has repeatedly failed inspection. After two years of attempts to get it fixed, the county is now threatening to place a lien on his home's title because the EV circuit still hasn’t passed. Roger and CES have been largely absent through this, leaving him without a clear path forward.
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 56
Clean Record
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 14 years
Among the longest-standing installers in the market.
BBB Rating: A+
Excellent BBB standing. Strong complaint resolution.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
What You Can Expect
John H. remembered Roger Kilby, owner of California Energy Service, installing his central heating and air conditioning system 18 years ago. When the air conditioner failed on a Monday, he called and Roger showed up right away, ordered the needed part, and returned the next day to install a heater fan. The repair went quickly; Roger worked professionally, charged a reasonable price, and his assistant remained courteous throughout. What stood out was that the company owner still handled the job personally after nearly two decades, responding fast and completing the fix by Tuesday. The clear takeaway: an owner-operated shop that still provides same-week, reasonably priced service.
John H discovered that the same owner of California Energy Service who installed his central heating and air conditioning 18 years ago answered the call when the air conditioner failed on a Monday. The owner showed up right away, ordered the needed part, and returned the next day to install a heater fan. The work moved quickly, stayed professional, and came with a reasonable price, while the assistant remained courteous throughout. The standout detail for him: a two-decade relationship turned into prompt, hands-on service—his system was fixed within two days without a big bill.
James invested tens of thousands of dollars in a full-home upgrade — solar panels, new heating and air, and a replacement water heater — but the installation experience collapsed into a long-running mess. He ended up with a water heater that nearly caught fire and had to be repaired by an outside vendor after Roger ignored repeated calls for help over a Christmas weekend. The solar portion dragged through multiple inspection attempts, costing him missed work days, and the EV circuit has repeatedly failed inspection. After two years of attempts to get it fixed, the county is now threatening to place a lien on his home's title because the EV circuit still hasn’t passed. Roger and CES have been largely absent through this, leaving him without a clear path forward.
Diane T. chose CES in 2015 after interviewing four other installers, including Costco. She had been living with an undersized, inefficient HVAC that left her older home unevenly heated for 17 years. CES didn’t treat the job as a simple swap; they redesigned intake vents, added attic exhaust fans, blew in new insulation, and replaced all the windows and doors. She ended up with a far more complete solution than the other companies proposed — and at a lower price than those competitors who weren’t planning any of those improvements. From the first meeting through final completion, a family-owned crew managed the project and stood behind their work 110%. The result: balanced, whole-house comfort for the first time in nearly two decades and utility bills about one-third of what they used to be. The detail that lingers is simple but telling: a more thorough overhaul, for less money, delivered a two-thirds drop in energy costs.
Jen recently had solar installed on her house. She watched Eric, Ron and Luke work through searing heat, staying polite, protecting her home's privacy and explaining each task before they began. They moved efficiently and treated the place with care, which made the whole installation feel straightforward and honest. The detail that stuck with her was the crew’s upfront explanations combined with their relentless work ethic in very hot weather.
In November, Randy M. discovered his home heater had failed — a frustrating setback for someone who had paid CES about $18,000 for energy upgrades eight years earlier and expected reliable service. He called the same company for help; the technician diagnosed a part that needed ordering and charged $169 for the visit. Weeks passed with little communication, and Randy left multiple messages before learning the part was “on order” with no ETA. Roger Kilby, the owner, had already told him the needed parts would be covered under the Trane warranty, so he felt relieved — until the follow-up visit. When the tech returned to install that first replacement, he climbed down from the attic and discovered the blower motor had failed and would also need ordering. Randy pushed back, upset that a second failure hadn’t been detected earlier; the tech maintained it couldn’t have been known until the new part was installed. The tech left without asking for any payment and without providing details about the next part or timeline. Randy expected the company to follow up, but after a month of being without heat he left at least ten messages and received no callbacks. Eventually Randy found an email
Gloria woke up to a failed heating system on a very cold day and found herself without heat. The company dispatched Jose, who showed up on time, quickly diagnosed the issue and repaired the system. She valued his polite, efficient manner during the service and was impressed by the prompt response in such cold weather. The thing that stuck with her was the on-time technician who fixed the problem and left the heating working again.
On November 11, 2025, Barbara M. booked a winter service visit for her home's heater and had technician Jose' handle the work. She found Jose' professional, efficient, and thorough during the inspection and tune-up, and left reassured that the heater was in good shape for the season.
Vicente O. reached out to Milgard under warranty after his newly replaced windows began leaking. He pushed the issue through multiple visits, and only on the third inspection did a Milgard technician concede the problem looked like poor installation rather than a product defect. Frustrated, he called California Energy Services; their technician came out, inspected the two leaking windows, and discovered there was no foam or insulation inside the frames. The technician explained that, because the company had been overbooked the year Vicente hired them, California Energy Services had subcontracted many installs and was now trying to "clean up" the subcontractor's work. While on site the technician offered to check other windows and found the same lack of insulation across most units. He phoned his supervisor; the next day Vicente missed work while the technician returned to begin repairs. Prior to the replacement Vicente had no leaks — his motivation for new windows was asthma and allergy relief and energy savings, since the originals were over 30 years old. During a later reinspection the supervisor started shifting blame to the roof and the stucco, pressed Vicente to sign a waiver,
Long-term Satisfaction
Long-term satisfaction for California Energy Services drops to 2.3 ★ compared to early reviews. This decline is worse than 75% of installers we looked at.
Long-term reviews carry the most weight in our methodology because they are most representative of what you should be paying for: a system that will perform for years.