Fossil fuel-powered appliances, like gas stoves and water heaters, can allow pollutants into your home. Electrification can help lower your home's environmental impact and contribute to better indoor air quality. For help with the electrification process, visit the Center for Energy and the Environment’s Electrify Everything Minnesota website. For information about heat pumps and heat pump contractors visit the Minnesota Air Source Heat Pump Collaborative and enter your zip code.
Energy Efficiency Programs
The City of Rochester is committed to helping residents and businesses reduce energy use, lower utility costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions through smart energy efficiency and electrification programs. Energy efficiency means using less energy to do the same — which saves money and reduces environmental impact by decreasing demand for electricity and fossil fuels. Electrification replaces fossil fuel-based systems (like natural gas heating) with efficient electric technologies such as heat pumps and induction cooking. Together, these strategies support a healthier, more resilient community.
Receive step-by-step guidance on weatherization and electrification for a more comfortable, healthier, and safer home.
Plug into the Future: A Residential Electrification Journey
- Learn how to electrify your home
- Review available financial incentives, planning resources, and preferred contractors
- Address any questions you have related to home electrification
Catch up on our residential workshop series by watching the recordings:
Learn more at Electrify Everything Minnesota.
Electrify Everything Advisors
Rochester residents can get FREE guidance on completing home projects, lining up rebates and finding contractors. Contact the Electrify Everything Advisors.
Housing Developer and Contractor Workshops
Specialized sessions for industry professionals will provide targeted insights on electrification and efficiency. Housing developers can learn how to navigate energy code updates to build more efficient homes. Contractors will gain knowledge about emerging trends, resources, and incentives to meet the growing demand for electric HVAC and appliances.
- Contractors: Electrification Trends and Opportunities for Contractors
- View recording here.
- Developers: Electrification and Energy Rating for Housing Developers
- View recording here.
RPU and Minnesota Energy Resources have teamed up with the Center for Energy and Environment to offer Rochester homeowners the Neighborhood Energy Challenge, a full-service residential energy audit program. The program includes a free energy workshop, a home energy assessment, installation of energy saving materials, and guidance through the process of making energy efficiency improvements, if applicable.
The Rochester Healthy Home Helpers (HHH) program helps residents improve indoor air quality, reduce utility costs, and make their homes safer, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient. Through free, in-home consultations, trained Navigators work with residents to identify simple improvements, install helpful materials, and connect households to programs that support energy upgrades, weatherization, and healthier living environments.
Healthy Home Helpers also builds a local green workforce by training and compensating residents as Healthy Homes & Energy Navigators. Navigators receive the Building Performance Institute (BPI) Building Science Principles certification, a nationally recognized credential that provides foundational knowledge of how energy, air, and moisture interact in homes.
Why It Matters
Many homes in Rochester, especially in older areas, face challenges such as poor ventilation, high radon levels, moisture issues, and energy inefficiencies. These conditions can contribute to higher utility bills and impact health outcomes such as asthma and heart disease. Healthy Home Helpers helps address these challenges by combining trusted, one-on-one support with practical improvements and connections to existing programs and resources.
Who Can Participate
Healthy Home Helpers is available to residents living in:
- Single-family homes
- Duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes
- Manufactured or mobile homes
Both homeowners and renters are welcome to participate.
What to Expect
After signing up, a Navigator will contact you to confirm eligibility and schedule your visit. Before the visit, you’ll have a short phone call (about 15–20 minutes) to talk through your goals and priorities.
During the in-home visit (typically 60–90 minutes), Navigators will walk through your home with you, discuss any concerns related to comfort, air quality, safety, or energy use, and identify practical next steps. You’ll receive a free Healthy Home Kit with installable items, along with personalized recommendations and connections to programs such as energy audits, rebates, weatherization services, and radon testing.
After the visit, you’ll receive a customized report and follow-up support to help you take the next steps.
Inside a HHH Energy Kit
During an in-home consultation, a team of Navigators will walk through your home with you and discuss causes of indoor air pollution and safety concerns. You will get personalized recommendations, resources, and access to other additional services. Assessments will be 1-2 hours and all resources and services for this program are free! Items inside the Healthy Home Energy Kits reach a value exceeding $130, items including:
- LED light bulbs
- Weatherization materials (such as window kits and insulation spray foam)
- Low-flow showerhead and faucet aerators
- Carbon monoxide/smoke detector
- Radon test kit or voucher
- RPU Energy Audit voucher
- Additional household and safety items (green cleaning supplies, child safety outlet covers)
All services and materials provided through this program are free. There are no income requirements for program participation.
How Do I Sign Up for an In-Home Consultation?
Residents can request a free in-home consultation by completing the interest form below:
A Navigator will follow up to schedule your visit and guide you through the next steps.
Get in Touch
For more information, please contact Kayla Betzold, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Rochester.
- Minnesota State contacts regarding Healthy Homes topics.
Energy Sustainability for Our Elderly: Rochester Public Utilities and Minnesota Energy Resources are offering an energy efficiency improvement program for Rochester’s low-income residents over the age of 60 in single family homes. The program includes a free home energy audit and covers the installation costs of cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities identified by the audit.
4U2 Program: Rochester Public Utilities and Minnesota Energy Resources are offering a program for Rochester’s income-qualified residents to make energy efficiency improvements. The program includes a free home energy audit and covers the installation costs of energy efficiency opportunities identified by the audit.
Weatherization Assistance Program: Homeowners and renters who qualify for the Energy Assistance Program administered by the MN Department of Commerce are automatically screened for the Weatherization Assistance program, administered through Semcac, a local weatherization provider. Eligible homeowners’ and renters’ homes will undergo a free home energy audit and, if necessary, receive free weatherization, as well as tune-ups and repairs to heating systems.
To see how much money you could save by making an energy efficiency or electrification improvement, try Rewiring America’s interactive Incentive Calculator.
Rochester Public Utilities’ (RPU) Conserve and Save™ rebates provide incentives to residents for purchasing efficient new home appliances, heating systems, electric vehicles, and more. View the list of qualifying purchases and application forms for the Conserve and Save™ rebates.
Minnesota Energy Resources provides rebates on energy efficiency improvements for both new and existing homes, such as improvements to natural gas heating systems, ductwork, and windows. View the full list of qualifying improvements.
The State of Minnesota will receive substantial funding under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, including rebates for home energy-efficiency and electrification improvements. This funding will become available in 2025. Find out more information here.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides residents with numerous forms of monetary incentives to invest in clean energy and improve energy efficiency.
- RPU Conserve and Save Rebates
- Minnesota Energy Resources Rebates
- Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Rebates
- Inflation Reduction Act Electric Vehicle Tax Credits
- Inflation Reduction Act Home Energy Tax Credits
- RPU Smart Thermostat Program
- Neighborhood Energy Challenge
- Electrify Everything Minnesota
- MN Air Source Heat Pump Collaborative
Rochester Public Utilities offers a Smart Thermostat Program, which provides homeowners a one time $50 enrollment incentive and an annual $25 year-end bill credit for allowing RPU to adjust home thermostats by up to 4 degrees on weekdays during times of peak demand. The temperature adjustments are not on weekends or holidays and typically last only 1-4 hours. The program allows RPU to reduce energy demand during peak hours, lowering energy costs and passing the savings down to customers.
Checkout Programs
The City offers hands-on check-out programs so you can explore energy-efficient solutions at home:
Contact Us
Connect with City Services
Whether you have a question, need to report a concern or aren’t sure which department to contact, 311 connects you with the right team quickly and efficiently.