DENVER (KDVR) — Local communities and Colorado energy providers offer dozens of ways for you to upgrade how energy efficient your home can be as we approach the winter season.
Xcel Energy provides 53% of Colorado’s electricity and is by far the state’s largest provider. The company has several tips to save more energy through tweaking habits from how you wash dishes to how you cook, but also has programs and rebates to make improvements in your home.
Xcel Home Rebates
The company offers discounts on a few smart thermostats through rebates of $50 and more. The company said having the ability to adjust the temperature from your home based on your schedule through an app or wifi can save energy and money.
Xcel has partnered with dozens of retailers and hardware stores to offer rebates on LED light bulbs, with a discount of up to $3. The company has a bulb finder section on its website to point you to participating retailers near your zip code.
About a fifth of your home’s energy consumption typically comes from your water heater, according to Xcel. The company offers water heater upgrades or replacements with rebates ranging from $50 to $800, depending on the type of water heater. Xcel partners with area contractors for these projects.
When it comes to cooling your home during peak summer scorchers, Xcel offers rebates for evaporative cooling systems, a rewards program for cutting back on A/C use during peak demand and hundreds of dollars in rebates for more efficient A/C units.
Ahead of winter, the company also offers rebates to improve insulation and air sealing in your home.
Xcel Home Energy Squad
If you’re looking for general improvements for energy efficiency in your home, but don’t know where to start, Xcel Energy’s Home Energy Squad may be a good starting point.
The team can come to your home in person or do a consultation through video chat to discuss improvements, and will send a kit for some “do it yourself” installations. A virtual visit is $25, but you can get that money refunded by proving you completed the DIY installations.
The squad can also visit your home to install LED bulbs, weather stripping for exterior doors, energy-efficient showerheads, water heater temperature checks and more for a $50 cost.
To be eligible, you have to be an Excel Energy Colorado customer with an individual electric/gas utility account on a detached single-family home or part of a building with four units or less.
If you’re a customer of another energy provider you can find their website and any rebate programs through the Colorado Public Utilities Commission’s website.
