Robbinsdale Offers Free Home Energy Audits
As energy costs soar, there are plenty of ways to keep costs down at home. Just ask the Home Energy Squad. In Robbinsdale, you can get their help for free.
The energy crew does two types of visits: an energy saver visit if your home is new, and an energy planner visit for an older home. It’s a way to keep costs down and reduce energy waste.
Noah Knapp, a Greencorps member with the city of Robbinsdale, said the audit is typically between $70 to $100 for homeowners, but it’s free in Robbinsdale right now thanks to a $5,000 grant. It all fits into Robbinsdale’s broader Energy Action Plan.
“Funding programs like this — Home Energy Squad — is a really useful tool for working towards those larger goals,” Knapp said.
The Home Energy Squad is a joint partnership between CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy. It’s administered by the Center for Energy and Environment. By taking advantage of this program, homeowners can understand how they can better prevent energy waste.
“If you don’t know what the efficiencies of your home’s technologies are, it could be confusing and difficult to know where to start,” Knapp said.
Efficiency Goes a Long Way
This makes it easier. Like for longtime Robbinsdale resident Lou Ambrose, who’s gotten the audit done twice.
Ambrose’s house was built in 1917. It’s filled with built-ins, newspapers and other historical quirks. Her mom grew up there, so Knapp said her family’s never fully moved out.
“It’s a wonderful house. I love it,” Ambrose said. She picked up a photograph from her mother’s wedding on the mantle and gestured to art on the wall. “This oil painting is that oil painting. The history is just so deep; I just love it.”
Lou Ambrose’s home was built in 1917. Since then, she’s made many updates to make it more energy-efficient.
Her older house is also a space that’s surprisingly energy-efficient. On her most recent audit, the energy squad gave her a rating of 95 out of 100.
“At the end of the audit, he said ‘You got a 95. Most people don’t get 95s! The people we usually see are 45s,'” Ambrose said.
Ambrose gives most of the efficiency’s credit to insulation and the use of LED lights. She also weatherstrips doors and windows and uses a tankless water heater. Plus, she installed solar panels– but said that didn’t factor into her audit.
“I’ve done just about all that you can do that I can think of. If there’s something new, I’ll probably do it,” Ambrose said.
Regardless of score, the Home Energy Squad sends the audit several weeks later. Ambrose’s audit included information about her current setup with advice on what elements to improve and where to save, along with a person to contact if you need advice.
Ambrose shows her follow-up packet.
Get Your Score
Anyone can get their efficiency score from the Home Energy Squad. Knapp said workers will walk through and assess your systems to come up with a score. They also install energy-saving items, like LED lighting.
About half of the grant-funded visits are still available, as of late July. For more information about what those visits include, you can visit Robbinsdale’s website. The website also has details on how to schedule a visit.
