DTE Energy is looking for three small businesses who can use $5,000 on energy efficiency improvements. The company’s annual Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest kicks off Aug. 20 and runs till midnight on Oct. 8, 2025.
Over the last 10 years, DTE has supported companies across the state of all sizes and types, from a small family dairy, a cosmetic company, a confectioner, a fitness gym and multiple non-profit organizations.
Five finalists will receive a free energy assessment, and three grand-prize winners will each win a $5,000 grant, recommendations for energy efficiency upgrades and an opportunity to be featured in DTE’s EnergySmarts For Michigan Business magazine.
The contest is open to all businesses that are current DTE electric, gas or gas/electric combo customers.
“Small businesses are the foundation of the communities where we live and serve, and we are proud to support these businesses in making improvements that reduce their energy use, which benefits both the business and the community,” said Carmen Welch, director of energy efficiency, DTE Energy. “Each year this contest receives more and more entries, which tells us there is a strong interest in energy efficiency.”
Read on to see how a few of last year’s winners used their prize money to save energy and improve their business.
The Detroit-based Franciscan Ministries is an 11-year-old nonprofit run by a small team of volunteers. Its 4,000-square-foot building is modest, but its energy expenses were not, says Michael Carsten, the board chairman.
A DTE energy advisor recommended interior/exterior security lighting upgrades and the installation of digital HVAC controls. Carsten says the changes have helped keep the building comfortable when people are there and efficient when they are not.
“Any penny that I can save in one place frees up dollars to continue giving back to our neighbors,” he says.
Michigan League for Crippled Children’s Camp Grace Bentely is an 8-acre camp built in 1928 on the shore of Lake Huron. It’s a place where kids and adults with disabilities create a lifetime of memories and develop a greater sense of independence through new adventures. With their $5,000 winnings, the camp was able to add energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the camp buildings and air conditioning to some of the camp’s main buildings.
Don’t miss this opportunity to improve your business with help from DTE. Enter the Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest today at dteenergy.com/makeover.
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