ecobeco's
February 2010 Newsletter
ecoTips, News,
Deals, and More - And it's
Free!
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Hello,
When
it gets this cold, the drafts are relentless.
Steady readers of our newsletters have heard all about
how warm air leaking out the top of the house
creates pressure that forces cold air to enter the house
through windows and other pathways . This month we
identify another large source of warm air leakage with a
discussion about chimneys. Ecobeco's Reuven
Walder also appeared on FOX5's money segment to inform
viewers about inexpensive products that reduce air
leakage. Finally, now is the ideal time to test
for Radon so we'll discuss this dangerous gas as
well. And there's more so keep
reading...
- ecoTip 1: Air Leakage - Stay Out of My Chimney.
- Fox 5 and ecobeco Team Up To Tackle Cold Air
Killers
- ecoTip 2: Health and Safety - Radon
- Product Highlights
- Federal Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency
- Montgomery County Residents get $250 of FREE
Energy-Efficiency Products
- Store Hours by Appointment
Only
Enjoy!
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ecoTip 1: Air
Leakage - Stay Out of My
Chimney
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Leaky
chimney flues account for over 10% of air leakage in a
typical home according to the Department of
Energy. Even when your fireplace damper is closed,
it is rarely air tight. If you feel a cold draft,
we recommend two cost-effective products that can
help most home owners:
1.
High Heat Caulk. Use high heat caulk to fill gaps
between the fireplace and surrounding framing, brick, or
whatever materials are present. This
is particularly important if you occasionally feel air,
or see spider webs or dust in these
areas. You can find caulk at
your local hardware store for around $10 per
tube.
2. Chimney Draft Stoppers. At $59.99,
these devices are a great value and they provide a  tight seal. They
are easy to assemble and disassemble so you can
remove yours easily when you want to use the fireplace,
and replace it when you're done. Click here to purchase a chimney
draft stopper from ecobeco.com.
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| Fox 5 and ecobeco Team
Up To Tackle Cold Air Killers |
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Fox 5 Local News' Melanie
Alnwick and ecobeco have teamed up once again to take an
in depth look at how to help your home reduce drafts.
This time we are putting several common insulation and
air sealing remedies to the test.
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| ecoTip 2: Health
and Safety - Radon |
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Now that it's the middle of winter and we are
spending more time sealed away in our homes, it's time
to talk about Radon. The EPA declared January (yes,
we got the memo a little late) to be national Radon
Month in recognition of this threat and it suggests that
you test your home to see if there is any build-up of
this heavy and potentially dangerous radioactive
gas. Testing should be done every 5
years.
Radon is a tasteless, odorless, gas caused by the
decay of radioactive minerals naturally found in the
soil. This gas leaks into your house through gaps in
your floor, service pipes, and cavities in your walls.
Once in your home, radon and can build up to seriously
dangerous levels, particularly in a well sealed, poorly
ventilated house. Click on the map on the right to
see Radon levels in Maryland and other states.
 The EPA recommends testing for
radon in mid winter for the best results. In order to
perform a test properly, you should keep all windows and
doors closed for at least 12 hours before the
test. Then, you place a small gas-absorbing
container (the test kit) on your lower level for 2-3
days while the test takes place. Then you seal the
container and send to a lab for analysis. It's
easy.
It is always a good idea to test the air quality of
your home whenever you perform renovations that can
potentially change the air flow of your house.
While Radon is a concern, the good news is that it can
be remedied. To quote my favorite action hero,
"Knowing is half the
battle." |
Product
Highlights
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Now that winter is in full bloom, ecobeco is
ready to fight the cold with some hot sales on a
wide range of our environmentally friendly products.
Discounts
apply to current inventory only. No
backorders.
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Refer Your
Friends, Get $$$
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We're
very excited to introduce our Friends & Family
Referral Program. Just go to http://www.ecobeco.com/friends.asp
and give us the Name, E-mail and Phone Number of your
friends who might want Energy Audits. We'll
contact them and if they purchase an Audit or
Combination package, you'll get a $25 electronic gift
card for the ecobeco product of your choice! Now
that's green!
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Tax Incentives
for Energy
Efficiency
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The
American Reinvestment and Recovery Act included
substantial spending on energy efficiency related
items. Part of the legislation includes an
increase in the tax deductions for purchases of
energy-efficient appliances, insulation and
windows.
Please click the links below to access
the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and
Efficiency (DSIRE). Then, consult your tax advisor
for more information about whether you qualify for these
incentives.
Taxpayers can deduct 30% of
total materials costs up to $1,500 for s pecific
energy-efficient product purchases made in
2010.
Residential Energy Efficiency Tax
Credit
Taxpayers can deduct 30% of
the installed cost of solar PV, solar hot water, wind,
fuel cells, and geothermal heat pump with no maximum
limit.
Residential Renewable Energy Tax
Credit
The DSIRE database also includes
incentives specific to your state and county, so be sure
to check for those programs as well by navigating back
to the home page and then clicking on your
state.
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MONTGOMERY COUNTY
RESIDENTS GET $250 OF FREE ENERGY-EFFICIENCY
PRODUCTS
We'll show you how to claim
your Property Tax Credit!
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If you
are a Montgomery County Home Owner (you pay property
taxes), you can take advantage of the
Property Tax Credit for Energy Conservation
Devices. This credit refunds 100% of your spending
up to $250. CFLs, Low-Flow Showerheads,
Programmable Thermostats, and Smart Powerstrips are the
easiest and most essential items for any
energy-efficient home. And there are many more products
that qualify as well. Schedule your in-home visit
today and we'll help you determine exactly which
products you need today.
ecobeco will provide you
with the forms you need to fill out and will coach you
on how to fill them out to ensure a smooth claim
process.
There's no better time than now to
schedule your in-home ecoAssessment or Energy
Audit. The tax credit is limited to $250,000 of
total benefit for the entire county for fiscal year
2010, so make your purchase now and submit your
application as soon as possible to ensure your refund.
There is no income exclusion or residency
requirement for this credit.
Call us at
the store (240) 396-2141 x2 to learn
more.
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New Store
Hours - Appointment
Only
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ecobeco's
store hours are now by appointment only. Just call
or e-mail us before you come to make sure we're
there.
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Thanks,
Brian, Reuven, Curt, Mike,
Jonathan, Valerie, Dan, Patrick and
Daniela
(240)
396-2141
info@ecobeco.com
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