An Award-Winning Efficiency Program in Fort Collins, Colorado

This case study describes the Efficiency Works-Neighborhood Pilot in Fort Collins, Colorado, a program designed by Fort Collins Utilities with support from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to increase residential adoption of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The program shifted from an 'à la carte' service model to a streamlined, bundled approach that removed financial and procedural barriers, resulting in a tripling of customer participation and a 60 percent increase in carbon savings. Due to its success and transferability, the program received the Energy Innovator Award from the American Public Power Association (APPA).

• Fort Collins accelerated its climate goals following an RMI e–Lab design charrette and a report titled 'Stepping Up: Benefits and Cost of Accelerating Fort Collins’ Energy and Climate Goals'. The city moved its target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent from 2050 to 2030, with a goal of eliminating them entirely by 2050.
• The Efficiency Works-Neighborhood Pilot replaced a previous 'à la carte' approach with a streamlined process to reach beyond early adopters. The new model utilizes third-party home performance experts to conduct audits and present customers with three bundled package options—'good, better, and best'—during a single site visit.
• The pilot program achieved significant results over a year and a half, including more than tripling the number of customers who proceeded with renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and achieving 60 percent greater carbon savings.
• Fort Collins Utilities identified four critical factors for the program's success: simplifying the process through bundling, removing financial barriers by offering up to 100 percent financing payable over 20 years via electric bills, using targeted marketing for high-potential neighborhoods, and providing contractors with a steady stream of work and standardized pricing.

APA

RMI (2017). An Award-Winning Efficiency Program in Fort Collins, Colorado. https://rmi.org/resources/award-winning-efficiency-program-fort-collins/

Chicago

RMI. An Award-Winning Efficiency Program in Fort Collins, Colorado. 2017. https://rmi.org/resources/award-winning-efficiency-program-fort-collins/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=An Award-Winning Efficiency Program in Fort Collins, Colorado |date=21 June 2017 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/award-winning-efficiency-program-fort-collins/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2017awardwinning, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{An Award-Winning Efficiency Program in Fort Collins, Colorado}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/award-winning-efficiency-program-fort-collins/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }