CenterPoint CoolSaver is CenterPoint Energy's free residential air-conditioner tune-up for the Houston area. CenterPoint is the wires (delivery) utility for the metro, so the program runs through CenterPoint regardless of which retail electricity provider sends your bill. The benefit is delivered as a service, not a check: a participating contractor inspects and optimizes your existing system at no cost to you.
A CoolSaver visit covers the work a good seasonal tune-up should — inspecting the system, cleaning the condenser coil, checking the refrigerant charge, and clearing airflow restrictions — a service that normally costs about $150 to $200. To qualify, your central A/C or heat pump must be operational, at least one year old, and no larger than 5 tons, and you can't have received a CoolSaver tune-up in the past five years.
This is the key distinction for the AC-repair category: utilities fund maintenance, not repairs or replacements. A tuned-up air conditioner draws less power on a hot afternoon, which is what the utility is paying to reduce. If your system is actually broken — no cooling, a refrigerant leak, a failed compressor — that is a repair you'll pay for, not a CoolSaver visit. But booking the free tune-up every few years is a legitimate way to catch a weak capacitor or a low charge before it becomes a hot-day breakdown.