This startup helps you find energy savings at home using a simple kit and app.
San Francisco: A few years ago, Selina Tobaccowala’s young daughter began posting notes around the house saying to “turn off the lights.” Selina had just sold her company and wanted to find a new way to help people use less energy.
After asking many people what worried them most, she learned they felt confused about how to lower their electric and gas costs. Selina started HomeBoost to make it easy for anyone to check their home’s energy use. The company showed its work at a big technology event.
When you join HomeBoost, they mail you a small kit called the BoostBox. It has an infrared camera that shows where warm or cold air leaks into your home, and a blacklight that helps find which lights you might want to replace. The app uses those pictures to make a report that tells you the best changes to make and any special rebates that might help.
Many electric companies already send people to your house to do this, but sometimes they just try to sell you something expensive. HomeBoost’s kit is faster, cheaper, and lets you do the check yourself. It normally costs just $99—much less than hiring someone to do it in person.
Some power companies now work with HomeBoost to cover most of the cost for their customers. The company also helps professional energy checkers work faster by giving them a special app. HomeBoost is testing a feature that can match you with a contractor to fix the problems the report finds, so your home stays more comfortable and your bills go down.