The HomeBoost app shows you where to save your utility bills

A few years ago, Selina Tobaccowala’s daughter started leaving notes behind the house, telling everyone to “turn off the lights” and so on.

Tobacco had just sold Gixo to OpenFit and was looking for another challenge. “I saw the kids and thought, ‘Let me see if there’s something about stability and weather,'” he told TechCrunch. “There had to be more than just turning off our lights.”

With no background in climate science or hardware engineering, he didn’t know where to start. So Tobacco turned to what he knew best: research.

“Due to my love of research, I did customer research – tons – tons,” said Tobaccowala, who was President and CTO of SurveyMonkey.

What they found is that people are struggling to find ways to reduce aid costs.

“When we talked to consumers, we heard the same thing over and over again: They get an email that says, ‘Hey, you spend more than your neighbors,'” he said. “They were busy with what they could do with it.”

Tobaccolawa co-foundation HomeBoost helping people to self-assess home energy. The company was part of 200 Basic Battle at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.

HomeBoost’s screening process begins by sending customers a BoostBox, a small device that includes an infrared camera, a black light and a link to an app that takes customers. As people walk around their homes, an infrared camera shows them where cold (or hot) air is entering their homes; a black light tells people which lights can be raised.

Using the search data, the software automatically generates a report that shows the most expensive, including discounts based on where the person lives.

In many parts of the country, utilities provide similar services. Utilities, which are encouraged to reduce energy consumption by end-users, often work together with energy auditors to audit public buildings to identify ways to reduce energy consumption. But the quality of these services can be very different, said Tobaccowala.

“We talked to a group of buyers who tried to test the energy efficiency of the house, and there the feeling was like ‘all they did was try to sell me an upgraded HVAC,'” he said.

HomeBoost’s program is cheaper and faster than accounting, and helps people manage the process, Tobaccowala said.

HomeBoost charges customers $99, which is about a quarter of the traditional, individual price. It also works with utilities, which pay some or all of the cost to customers. The startup has signed contracts with Central Hudson, the Omaha Public Power District, and most recently Avista. Omaha Power, for example, pays all but $19 of the cost, while Central Hudson will cover the entire cost if homeowners check out a BoostBox from the public library.

But not every homeowner wants to complete the survey themselves, and not all appraisers force a sale. Dedicated inspectors can spend between two and 10 hours inspecting buildings, collecting data, and building reports, Tobaccowala said. Therefore, HomeBoost has created a version of its professional program, allowing them to serve more customers.

The company is also testing a product that will connect homeowners with contractors who can follow the recommendations outlined in the report. For contractors, it’s another source of new business, and it allows them to learn more about a project before entering the building.

By bringing consumers, agents, and contractors together, Tobaccowalla hopes that HomeBoost can also bring the season to life. “It’s a very special situation where everyone has come together to cut aid, the result of which is climate change,” he said.