Did you know we do visits year-round to help you save in every season?
Free visits available to income qualified households.
We help you solve energy problems at home so you can save money and stay comfortable.
Program Highlights
Instant Energy Savings
Our staff install materials at the visit so you save energy and money right away.
Equipment Inspection
We inspect your insulation, heating and cooling systems, and water heater.
Support on Next Steps
Energy Advisors connect you to vetted contractors, specialized financing, and rebates.
How It Works
In-Home Visit
Free visits are available to income qualifying households. We offer two home visit options:
Energy Saver Visit — $70, price reduced in some cities.
For newer houses (built in 2000 and after), mobile homes, condos, and renters
- Install energy-saving materials such as: *LED lightbulbs, door and attic hatch weather-stripping, programmable or smart thermostat, and high-efficiency water fixtures.
- Assess and adjust water heater temperature.
- Determine next steps.
Energy Planner Visit — $100, price reduced in some cities.
Recommended for homes built before 2000
- Install energy-saving materials such as: *LED lightbulbs, door and attic hatch weather-stripping, programmable or smart thermostat, and high-efficiency water fixtures.
- Assess and adjust water heater temperature.
- Perform a blower door test to measure your home for air leaks.
- Complete an insulation inspection of your attic and walls using an infrared camera.
- Perform a safety test on your home's heating system and water heater.
- Determine next steps.
*LED lightbulbs available to Xcel Energy electric customers.
Virtual or phone consultations are available if preferred.
Free Support and Guidance for Home Energy Improvements
Our help doesn't end at the visit! If your home could use larger home improvement projects such as additional insulation, attic air sealing, or replacing old heating equipment — our advisors make these big steps easy by connecting you with a vetted list of qualified contractors, specialized financing, and utility rebates.
Home Energy Squad is provided by Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy, delivered by CEE.
Home Energy Squad visits are currently available to any resident of Minnesota with a CenterPoint Energy or Xcel Energy account.
The Squad brings several ecobee and Nest smart thermostats that can be installed at the visit if they are compatible with the home’s HVAC system. Some customers will qualify for a free smart thermostat or additional utility discounts.
Xcel Energy Smart Thermostat Discounts:
- Income qualified electric customers can receive a free ecobee 3 Lite smart thermostat.
- Customers with central AC can receive a $50 instant rebate when they install a smart thermostat.
- An ecobee 3 Lite is free when you sign up for Xcel’s AC rewards program. Or you can receive an instant rebate of $75 applied towards the cost of an ecobee Premium smart thermostat with voice control.
CenterPoint Energy Smart Thermostat Discounts:
- Customers with a natural gas heating system can receive a $50 instant rebate on both ecobee and Nest smart thermostats.
For more information on what a smart thermostat is and how they work, you can learn more on the ecobee and Nest websites.
Premium smart thermostats maybe be installed instead of an ecobee 3 Lite for an additional cost. Ask the Squad about these options during your visit.
The use and installation of smart thermostats is dependent on their compatibility with the home’s HVAC system. There are some cases where the Squad will not be able to provide or install a smart thermostat.
We know that every house has different opportunities, which is why the Home Energy Squad doesn't offer cookie-cutter visits. Each visit will be tailored to your needs and interests, including which materials are installed. For example, if you already have certain products installed, we may skip those and choose to spend more time on diagnostics or helping you plan next steps.
Free visits are available to income-qualified households (<60% AMI). Income limits are set annually by the MN Department of Commerce.
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Limit | $36,687 | $47,975 | $59,263 | $70,552 | $81,840 | $93,128 | $95,245 | $97,362 |
Golden Valley, Richfield and St. Louis Park pay the full cost of HES visits for residents in the 60-80% AMI.
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Limit | $62,600 | $71,550 | $80,500 | $89,400 | $96,600 | $103,750 | $110,900 | $118,050 |
Minneapolis pays the full cost of HES visits for residents in Green Zone neighborhoods or under 150% AMI.
| Household Size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income Limit | $123,300 | $140,850 | $158,400 | $175,950 | $190,050 | $204,150 | $218,250 | $232,350 |
Edina pays the full cost of HES visits for households with an annual income less than $100,000.
Even if you have had a utility audit performed on your home in the past, Home Energy Squad can still be a useful program to help reduce energy costs and connect with other resources. If you have completed any energy improvements on your home since your utility audit — especially air sealing or insulation — then we can check to make sure that your installed measures are actually saving energy.
While not necessary to conduct an energy audit, the infrared camera (IR) can be a useful tool when there is at least a 20 degree temperature difference between your home’s indoor air temperature and and the outdoor temperature. IR images are one way your auditor can identify specific areas in your home that may have insufficient insulation or air sealing such as your exterior walls or attic. These images are typically collected while the auditor is also running the blower door test, which performs effectively at all temperatures.
We make saving energy easy.
"The team we had were great! They were quiet, respectful, professional, and very thorough. We couldn't be happier with their service and will recommend the Home Energy Squad to friends and neighbors."
"I found the service to be beyond what I expected. I got my money's worth in light bulbs alone! I appreciated that the crew was making unbiased recommendations and not trying to sell us anything."
Need Help Making Your Projects a Reality?
CEE works with many Minnesota cities to buy down the cost of visits and provide special resources for their residents.
Don’t see your city? Home Energy Squad visits are available to anyone with a CenterPoint Energy or Xcel Energy account. Sign up for a visit.
Intercity Challenge
The Intercity Home Energy Squad® Challenge was formed in 2020 to challenge residents to learn how their home uses energy and identify energy-saving opportunities through a home energy visit from the Home Energy Squad. At the end of each calendar year, the city with the highest participation per capita wins. A traveling trophy will be on display for the winning city. All types of visits count toward the goal.
To schedule your Home Energy Squad visit complete the questions below. After submitting this form you will receive a confirmation email. If you request a phone call, we will do our best to get back to you within one business day.
Prefer to call? 651-328-6220
CEE employees will continue to practice CDC guidelines regarding masking, sanitary practices, and social distancing when entering customer homes.
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