Judging Criteria

Round One: Selection of Semifinalists

Essays submitted by Entrants describing why saving energy is important to them will be reviewed by a qualified panel of judges and five Entrants will be selected from each of three zones (Oncor Service Area, CenterPoint Service Area and AEP Central/North and TNMP Service Areas). Each of the Semifinalists will receive a $100 TXU Energy Bill Credit.

Round Two: Selection of Finalists

In Round Two, the 15 Semifinalists will be interviewed by phone and will be required to submit a short video explaining why they should be chosen as a Finalist, based on their home’s need for an energy efficiency makeover. Originality, enthusiasm and interest in saving energy will be important factors. The judges will select one family from each of the three zones listed above.

Round Three: Finalist Challenge

A comprehensive home energy audit will be conducted by TXU Energy and TexEnergy Solutions at each of the Finalist’s homes to determine energy performance. The audit process will involve an exterior examination as well as an interior room-by-room analysis to understand current performance and to evaluate opportunities for improvement. Once the initial audit is completed, the results, analysis and modeling will be reviewed with each homeowner. This consultation will provide each Finalist with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) index and a written report including the analysis, recommendations and cost estimates for improvements.

This audit will help the Finalists:

• Locate and quantify energy waste and comfort issues
• Prioritize recommended energy performance solutions
• Quantify the energy savings for each energy performance solution

Based on this information, the Finalists will be given $5,000 cash to spend on energy efficiency improvements and a high-definition camcorder to document their efforts. Upon completion, TXU Energy and TexEnergy Solutions will conduct a second audit to determine effectiveness of each Finalist’s improvements.

Winning the contest
The $25,000 Grand Prize Winner will be selected by the judges based on improvement of their HERS Index, Web voting and documented (in writing) personal behavior changes. In addition to the $25,000 Grand Prize, a Second Prize of $5,000 and a Third Prize of $2,500 will be awarded.