HomeBoost’s app shows homeowners where they can save on utility bills

A few years ago, Selina Tobaccowala noticed a small but telling change at home. Her daughter began sticking Post-it notes around the house, reminding everyone to turn off lights and conserve energy. Around the same time, Tobaccowala had just sold her previous startup, Gixo, to OpenFit and was thinking about what to build next.

Watching her kids sparked an idea. “I saw the kids and thought, ‘Let me see if there’s something there on the sustainability and climate side,’” Tobaccowala told TechAmerica.ai. “There had to be something more than just turning our lights off.”

Without a background in climate science or hardware engineering, Tobaccowala leaned into what she knew best: understanding people through research. Formerly the president and CTO of SurveyMonkey, she began by talking to potential customers—a lot of them.

“Given my love of surveys, I surveyed a ton — a ton — of customers,” she said.

What quickly became clear was a shared frustration. Many people want to lower their utility bills but don’t know where to start or what actions actually make a difference.

“When we talked to consumers, we heard the same thing over and over again,” Tobaccowala said. “They get that email that says, ‘Hey, you spend more money than your neighbors.’ And then they’re kind of stuck. They don’t know what to do about it.”

That insight led Tobaccowala to co-found HomeBoost, a startup that helps homeowners perform their own energy assessments. The company was selected for the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechAmerica.ai Disrupt 2025.

HomeBoost’s process begins with a physical kit called the BoostBox, which is mailed directly to customers. Inside are a small infrared camera, a blacklight, and access to a companion mobile app that guides users step by step through the assessment.

As homeowners move through their space, the infrared camera highlights areas where hot or cold air is leaking in or out. The blacklight helps identify which light fixtures could be upgraded for better efficiency. All of this information feeds directly into the app.

Using the collected data, HomeBoost automatically generates a customised report outlining the most cost-effective improvements a homeowner can make. The report also factors in available rebates and incentives based on the user’s location.

In many regions, utility companies already offer home energy assessments. These programs are typically designed to reduce overall energy consumption and are often carried out by third-party energy auditors. But Tobaccowala said the quality of those experiences can vary widely.

“We talked to a bunch of consumers who’d gotten home energy assessments done,” she said. “And there was this feeling like, ‘All they did was try to sell me an upgraded HVAC system.’”

HomeBoost positions itself as a faster, more affordable, and more user-controlled alternative. The service costs $99, roughly one-quarter the price of a traditional in-person assessment. In some cases, utilities subsidise much of that cost.

The company has already partnered with utilities including Central Hudson, Omaha Public Power District, and Avista. In Omaha, the utility covers all but $19 of the assessment cost. Central Hudson goes even further, covering the full price if homeowners borrow a BoostBox from a public library.

Still, not every homeowner wants to conduct an assessment themselves, and not every professional auditor is overly aggressive. Tobaccowala acknowledged that dedicated auditors can spend anywhere from two to 10 hours inspecting a home, compiling data, and preparing detailed reports.

To address that market, HomeBoost has built a version of its app specifically for professionals, allowing auditors to streamline their work and serve more customers efficiently.

The startup is also testing a new feature that connects homeowners directly with contractors who can carry out the recommended upgrades. For contractors, the platform provides a steady source of leads and detailed project information before they ever step inside a home.

By linking homeowners, utilities, auditors, and contractors in one system, Tobaccowala believes HomeBoost can align financial savings with environmental impact.

“It’s a very unique situation where everybody’s aligned to actually lower the utility bill,” she said. “And the net result of that is an improvement for the climate as well.”