Boulder County’s EnergySmart program launches a new Electric Vehicle advising service

Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County’s EnergySmart service is now offering the nation’s first government-sponsored electric vehicle personal advising service.

This free service assists residents throughout Boulder County in learning which all-electric (EV) or hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) might be best for them. This type of advising is not meant to replace or compete with EV information from an EV dealer, but rather to educate residents about the pros and cons of these vehicles, available financial incentives, and evaluate a family’s driving habits to determine which vehicles are a good fit. EnergySmart advisors can also strategize charging options for your new vehicle whether at home, at work, or around town. Residents can begin today by calling EnergySmart at 303-544-1000.

“Boulder County is excited to expand our EnergySmart service to include EV advising,” says County Commissioner Elise Jones. “This service will provide residents with more opportunities and resources to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.”

Electric vehicles are inherently cleaner, mechanically simpler, and easier to maintain than traditional gas-powered cars. Even in areas that create electric energy from burning fossil fuels such as coal, electric vehicles have less of a greenhouse gas footprint than gas-burning cars. As more and more energy is generated by solar and wind, EVs’ greenhouse gas footprint will continue to drop.

The EnergySmart service has helped more than 15,000 homes in Boulder County become more comfortable, affordable, and energy efficient since 2011. This free service provides a personal home energy advisor to help residents understand which energy efficient and renewable energy upgrades are best for them, connect with pre-qualified contractors and find all available rebates and incentives.

“Boulder County’s EnergySmart advisor model has been adopted nationally across numerous service areas including wildfire mitigation, water conservation, and resiliency,” says Dave Hatchimonji, Program Manager for EnergySmart. “Currently, EVs have perceived and actual barriers to ownership, so it made perfect sense to begin using our EnergySmart advisors to assist residents in determining if EVs are right for them.”

For more information about Boulder County’s new EV EnergySmart Advising, visit EnergySmartYES.com/ev-advising or call 303-544-1000.

To learn about other sustainability services offered to Boulder County residents, please visit www.BoulderCountySustainability.org.