Team up and save energy and money! Now for a limited time, when five Snohomish County households team up – family, friends and neighbors – the utility will offer free energy assessments for each home, which would normally cost up to $500. With the personalized reports from the PUD, customers are better able to prioritize energy saving measures in their homes.

Assessments examine a range of energy-related components, including: insulation, windows, heating systems and ductwork, appliances, electronics, thermostats and lighting. The report recommends simple, free and low-cost actions as well as efficiency investments.

As an added benefit, participating customers will be eligible to receive an enhanced $125 rebate for purchasing qualifying ENERGY STAR refrigerators. Customers with electrically heated homes can qualify for insulation incentives that are 25 percent higher than the PUD normally offers.

To participate, five or more households need to team up and submit application documents together. Detailed program instructions and application documents are available at www.snopud.com/cpassessment or by calling the PUD Energy Hotline at 425-783-1700. The free energy assessments are available for a limited time only on a first-come, first-served basis.

The home energy assessments are part of the Community Power! program, a partnership between the PUD and Snohomish County. Funding also comes from federal stimulus grants to help bring energy efficiency to communities.