One on One with Ameeta Jain
By Gina Dostler
Energy costs are on the rise and Energy Datametrics has created a free application to help consumers save on their energy bills. Ameeta Jain, co-founder of the app Homeselfe, has devised a tool useful to homeowners and realtors to assess home energy leaks.
Q: What is Homeselfe?
A: It’s a comprehensive do-it-yourself home energy evaluation available through a smartphone app. Created by a company that provides software and technology services to utility companies, energy conscious homeowners now have their own app to find key areas in their home that need energy efficiency upgrades. The app is free and easy to download. It also gives practical ways to reduce overall consumption by providing a clear picture of energy use, as well as a path to more energy efficiency through money saving tips, energy rebate information and access to qualified local contractors.
Q: Who developed the app?
A: Energy Datametrics. Founded by my husband Sukant Jain, our company provides software and technology services to over 140 power companies that serve over 9 million customers in the U.S. As the founders of Homeselfe, we created the tool to help homeowners across the nation as they face rising energy costs and become more aware of their environmental impact.
Q: How much can someone save if they use Homeselfe?
A: It can help them save up to 35 percent on their utility bills by targeting the areas in the home that can be more energy efficient. The app opens up your world on how practical the changes can be. For instance, 25 percent of the world’s energy is used up in lighting. Switching out all your bulbs in the house to LEDs can save 20 percent on your utility bill.
Q: How does it work?
A: The app guides you through your home, room by room, asking questions such as, “How old are your major appliances? What’s the condition of your weather stripping? Is your home well-insulated?” There is even an “I don’t know” button to press. Once you have answered all the questions, your Homeselfe is complete and you get an instant, easy-to-read report that helps you gauge each area of your home where you need to upgrade most.
Q: What data is the report based on?
A: It calculates the score based on the U.S. Department of Energy Standards. With this data and the homeowner’s input, a report is generated that gives the home a grade of doing great or not, how much money can be saved and rebate information from the local utility companies. What’s great about the app is after making the changes suggested, you go back and re-enter the new data to get an updated report and see the impact made. The government is really working hard at having us be energy conscious and efficient with the rebates and offers.
Q: There is an improve button on the app. What does that do?
A: When you push on the Help Me Improve button, it’s tells a local contractor to contact you via text or phone call. If you are interested, it gives you a bid. Or you can simply choose, not interested. We’ve partnered with Pro.com that only recommends licensed and highly-rated qualified professionals. The company has already researched prices for hundreds of project types, background checks the crews, certifies the best home pros and matches the best-fit home pros to the project. Between the rebates and research for the perfect contractor to redo a home, there is little reason not to be energy efficient.
Q: How does Homeselfe help realtors?
A: The realtor can create a personal link to the app and provide individual reports to buyers and sellers. So for prospective buyers, they can show what can be upgraded to provide better energy efficiency in the home and the related rebates that are offered. If the home needs attic insulation, the app shows the rebates offered, giving a better calculation of how much money needs to be applied to the home in question. For sellers, the Homeselfe report shows how they can increase the value of their home by making improvements. Coming up with an excellent report on energy efficiency is a great way to show prospective buyers the home’s worth.
Q: Has the real estate industry embraced this tool?
A: We exhibited at the NARS convention in San Diego just recently and the realtors lit up and were very excited. We are also offering a $10 Home Depot card to their clients if they complete a Homeselfe.
Q: You also co-founded the app TeenSafe.
A: Yes, though my focus right now is on Homeselfe, TeenSafe showed the versatility of an app in monitoring data. It’s a child monitoring software for mobile and social media that allows parents to view their children’s sent, received and deleted SMS and iMessages; view logs of incoming and outgoing calls that includes contact name, number, date and duration; see the current smartphone location as well as a history of the phone’s location; and view instagram posts, comments and followers along with the ability to view a list of all third party applications installed on the phone. You can visit the site at www.teensafe.com.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Ameeta Jain
Energy Datametrics
6700 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 201
Long Beach, CA 90803
Phone: (714) 242 5700
Fax: (562) 493 3957
www.homeselfe.com
