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Zero Homes Selected by Xcel Energy to Lead Neighborhood Retrofit Program Bringing Whole-Home Electrification to Denver and Aurora
Zero Homes, the technology company driving the digital revolution of residential upgrades, has been selected by Xcel Energy to operate its $10M Neighborhood Residential Retrofit Program, a pilot to study non-pipeline alternatives. This program will bring deeply discounted whole-home energy upgrades to homeowners in select Denver and Aurora neighborhoods.
About this update from Xcel Energy Inc.
*As part of its Clean Heat Plan, Xcel Energy is investing in studying non-pipeline alternatives — including electrifying homes — with up to $20,000 in incentives per household * DENVER, April 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Homes, the technology company driving the digital revolution of residential upgrades, has been selected by Xcel Energy to operate its $10M Neighborhood Residential Retrofit Program, a pilot to study non-pipeline alternatives. This program will bring deeply discounted whole-home energy upgrades to homeowners in select Denver and Aurora neighborhoods. The program is designed as a study for Xcel Energy to evaluate a fundamental question facing utilities nationwide: is it more cost-effective to electrify homes, or to continue investing in maintaining and expanding aging gas infrastructure? By funding whole-home electrification upgrades in two target neighborhoods — one income-qualified in Denver's Valverde neighborhood and one market-rate in Aurora — Xcel Energy will gather real-world data on the costs, energy impacts, and grid effects of concentrated residential electrification compared to traditional gas infrastructure investment. For homeowners, the study means access to some of the most generous home upgrade incentives available anywhere in the country. In the Valverde neighborhood, income-qualified homeowners can receive a 100% incentive, covering all project costs. In Aurora, market-rate homeowners receive up to $20,000 off heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, weatherization and panel upgrades per home. These incentives can stack on top of existing Colorado State rebates, which means income-qualified homeowners can save up to $22,500. Zero Homes will manage the program end-to-end, from homeowner enrollment to home assessments through project design, installation, and rebate processing. Eligible upgrades may include cold climate heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, insulation, air sealing, electric cooking appliances, and electrical panel upgrades. "Utilities across the country are realizing that the cheapest pipe might be the one you don't have to build," said Grant Gunnison, CEO and Co-Founder of Zero Homes. "Xcel Energy is leading the way by making the largest non-pipeline alternative investment in the country to produce the data needed to support future investments. We're proud to be the team delivering th...