Need financial assistance?
Households in Garfield County within certain income ranges may qualify for FREE home energy efficiency programs. Click here for info about ReEnergize Garfield County.
Take advantage of utility rebates
Most energy-efficiency projects qualify for decent utility rebates, which makes them all the more worth doing. However, the patchwork of rebates offered in our region is pretty complicated, so let one of our energy coaches guide you.
For reference, here’s a chart of rebates available to Garfield County residents. (Note that CORE has discontinued its rebates in Garfield County.)
Start with a home energy assessment
A home energy assessment (or audit) is a recommended first step before investing in upgrades. It will identify which measures are appropriate for your particular situation – and which will provide the best bang for your buck.
A home energy assessment is a comprehensive evaluation of your home's energy use by a professional home energy analyst.
The analyst will perform a blower door test and thermal imaging to reveal where air is leaking in or out of the home, inspect your furnace and water heater, and test your indoor air quality for potential health and safety issues. (See this blog post about the process.) You’ll probably get some free “quick fix” items like LED bulbs, a programmable thermostat or hot water blanket, and afterwards you’ll get a written report listing other recommended measures.
If you meet certain income requirements, you may qualify for a free home energy assessment. Visit our ReEnergize page to learn more.
Otherwise, a home energy assessment will typically cost $400-600 in our area. Fortunately, all three electric utilities that serve Garfield County have programs that reduce the cost:
- Holy Cross Energy and Glenwood Springs Electric both offer a $200 rebate to those who apply through Energy Smart Colorado. (Garfield Clean Energy is the Energy Smart Colorado partner for our county.) Be prepared to provide your utility company account numbers, home square footage and other details.
- Xcel Energy also offers a $200 rebate to its electric customers when you sign up for an assessment through this page. However, you must use one of their participating contractors and there's only one currently operating in Garfield County (Tiger Home and Building Inspections). Another option available to Xcel customers is to book an appointment with their Home Energy Squad; these visits are cheaper, but very few appointment slots are allocated to Garfield County.
Questions? Email us and one of our energy coaches will be happy to help.