Xcel Energy

$77,060.00 (amount utility customers saved in 2021)

Heating and cooling make up the largest chunk of your monthly utility bill. The easiest, and most effective, energy efficiency project for your home is also the reason we have homes; shelter to escape the elements and be comfortable. Air sealing and proper insulation can lower those bills; installing energy-efficient HVAC systems can save even more. Hurlburt Heating, AC & Plumbing in Durand preaches this to customers from Eau Claire to Hudson. Hurlburt opened its doors in 1959 serving western Wisconsin with locations in Durand, Eau Claire, and Hudson and joined Focus on Energy as a Trade Ally in 2013.

In the last 10 years, Hurlburt has helped almost 1,200 utility customers save nearly $200,000 and save enough energy to power 263 homes for one year.

“Focus would not have this kind of success over the years if it wasn’t for the Trade Allies that actually do this work,” Focus on Energy Stakeholder Relations Manager Scott Bloedorn said. “(Trade Allies) Who are actually on the ground and putting this stuff together and giving their customers this kind of service.”

“This sort of came out of nowhere,” Hurlburt Heating, AC & Plumbing Owner Greg Mericle said as he proudly held his company’s Focus on Energy Trade Ally award. “It’s good to have Focus on Energy, Xcel, other good members of our industry around that support us with rebates and other means to help customers make those good decisions.”

When it comes to innovative energy-efficient products, Hurlburt is first in line to learn all about the product and see how to incorporate it into existing home and businesses energy practices for customers. The company embraced Focus on Energy’s dual-fuel heat pump rebates in 2021 running with the newer technology.

“At the end of the day, our job is to not only train and teach our team members about different products and efficiencies but then pass that knowledge along to our clients and our customers,” Mericle said.

In 2021, Hurlburt converted 45 customers from AC installation to dual-fuel heat pumps. That was approximately one-quarter of all dual-fuel heat pumps that came through the program last year.

“It’s really inspiring that you are looking out for the customers and giving these ideas to them,” Wisconsin State Senator Jeff Smith said. “Saying ‘hey, this is probably best for you and we can install it, we can service it, we can keep you in the right frame of mind for energy efficiency.’ That’s the way it should work.”

“What an amazing accomplishment and thank you for all you’ve done,” Wisconsin State Representative Warren Petryk said. “Giving sustaining jobs to people who are right in our area. This is such a beautiful part of the world we live in and we have so many opportunities because of people like yourself”.