Frustrated by rising utility bills and unsure how to make their homes more energy-efficient, homeowners now have a powerful new tool: HomeBoost. Co-founded by tech veteran Selina Tobaccowala, this innovative startup provides an app and a DIY kit designed to simplify home energy assessments, pinpoint areas for savings, and connect users with valuable rebates and contractors.
The inspiration for HomeBoost struck Tobaccowala a few years ago when her daughter began leaving "turn off the lights" notes around their house. Having recently sold her previous startup, Gixo, Tobaccowala was seeking a new challenge and saw an opportunity in the sustainability and climate sector. "I saw the kids and thought, 'Let me see if there's something there on the sustainability and climate side,'" she told TechCrunch. "There had to be something more than like turning our lights off."
Despite lacking a background in climate science or hardware engineering, Tobaccowala, formerly president and CTO of SurveyMonkey, leveraged her expertise in data collection. She conducted extensive surveys, revealing a common struggle: people knew their utility bills were high, but they were "stuck with what to do about it." Consumers frequently received emails highlighting their higher energy consumption compared to neighbors, yet lacked clear guidance on actionable steps.
How HomeBoost Empowers Homeowners
HomeBoost addresses this gap by enabling homeowners to perform their own comprehensive energy assessments. The process begins with mailing customers a "BoostBox," a compact kit containing an infrared camera, a blacklight, and instructions to download the accompanying app. As users navigate their homes, the infrared camera visually identifies areas where hot or cold air is leaking, while the blacklight helps pinpoint lights ripe for upgrading.
The app then processes this data to automatically generate a detailed report. This report not only suggests the most cost-effective upgrades but also highlights available rebates based on the homeowner's location, making energy-saving improvements more accessible and affordable.
A Smarter Alternative to Traditional Audits
While many utilities offer energy assessment services, their quality can vary significantly. Tobaccowala noted that some consumers felt traditional auditors primarily pushed expensive upgrades like new HVAC systems. HomeBoost offers a more transparent, user-controlled, and cost-effective alternative.
At $99, HomeBoost's service is approximately a quarter of the cost of a typical in-person assessment. The startup has also forged partnerships with utilities such as Central Hudson, Omaha Public Power District, and Avista, which often cover a significant portion or even the entire cost for their customers. For example, Omaha Power covers all but $19 of the fee, and Central Hudson fully subsidizes the BoostBox for homeowners who check it out from a public library.
Expanding Reach and Impact
Recognizing that not all homeowners wish to conduct the assessment themselves, and that dedicated auditors provide valuable, in-depth services, HomeBoost has developed a professional version of its app. This allows energy auditors to serve more clients efficiently, spending less time on data collation and more on expert analysis.
Furthermore, HomeBoost is testing a feature to seamlessly connect homeowners with qualified contractors who can implement the recommended upgrades. This creates a new lead source for contractors and provides them with crucial project information before even visiting a home.
By bringing together consumers, utilities, and contractors, HomeBoost aims to achieve a significant climate impact. "It's a very unique situation where everybody's aligned to actually lower the utility bill, which in the net result is improvement on the climate," Tobaccowala stated, highlighting the synergistic benefits of their platform.
