Conner Brynes, Sustainability Coordinator | February 9 2023
As seen in the Steamboat Pilot & Today

With the recent energy rate hikes and the subzero temperatures, you may be finding that your energy bills are higher than ever.

Improving the energy efficiency of your home or business can save you a lot of money, make your space more comfortable and safe, reduce our collective negative impact on the environment, and help us reach our countywide and statewide climate goals for the future.

Through Yampa Valley Sustainability Council’s relationships with Energy Smart Colorado, Yampa Valley Electric Association, Steamboat Springs and Oak Creek, YVSC supports comprehensive energy assessments that include home analyses that recognize comfort concerns, blower-door testing with infrared cameras to detect insulation voids and air leaks, and combustion appliance zone testing to identify potential for carbon monoxide and other hazards related to combustion heating systems.

With the support of the Energy Smart Colorado’s tools and network, YVSC’s energy analysts can help Yampa Valley residents and business owners find the right equipment upgrades and apply for rebates that will ultimately reduce their energy bills.

So, act now! Request your home energy assessment and find out how to improve your home to make it more comfortable, energy efficient, safe to live in, less expensive to operate and easier on the environment. Energy assessments cost $500 to initiate the audit. However, YVEA customers are eligible for a $150 electric bill credit after the audit is completed.

Steamboat Springs also offers a $150 rebate, and if you complete at least $200 of recommended energy improvements, you are also eligible for an additional $100 rebate. The Inflation Reduction Act also has many tax incentives for energy efficiency improvements starting in 2023 for residential homes. For income-qualified individuals, don’t let the burden of the cost of the assessment stop you from taking advantage of this service. Funding is available through Colorado’s Affordable Residential Energy Program to make the cost of the assessment free.

Business owners, there is now also a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant for commercial energy audits, bringing what would be a cost of $1,500 down to $375 for buildings that are 10,000 square feet or less. This grant allows businesses to capitalize on new funding opportunities to help offset and avoid unnecessarily high bills with energy efficiency techniques.

The commercial energy assessment analyzes a whole business approach and pinpoints areas of your business that could help improve your energy efficiency, identify areas of safety improvements, and help lower costs. The cleanest and most affordable energy is the energy we don’t use.

A certified building analyst will walk through your home or business and help you understand the best energy-saving devices while providing coaching along the way on best energy saving practices.

To schedule your energy assessment, visit http://yvsc.org/commercial-residential-energy-assessments/.