HomeBoost App Helps You Save On Utilities

A few years ago, Selina Tobaccowala’s daughter started leaving Post-it notes around the house, telling everyone to “turn off the lights” and such. Tobaccowala had just sold her last startup, Gixo, to OpenFit and was looking for a new challenge. Without a background in climate science or hardware engineering, she wasn’t sure where to start. So Tobaccowala turned to something she knew well: surveys. What she found was that people were struggling to figure out how to lower their utility bills. Tobaccowala co-founded HomeBoost to help people conduct their own home energy assessments. HomeBoost’s assessment process begins by mailing customers a BoostBox, a small kit that includes an infrared camera, a blacklight, and a link to an app that takes customers through the process. As people walk around their homes, the infrared camera shows them where cold (or hot) air is seeping into their homes; the blacklight tells people which lights could be upgraded. Using data from the scans, the app then automatically generates a report that suggests the most cost-effective upgrades, including rebates based on where the person lives.