ecobeco Case Study - Montgomery County Split Level Home Reduces Air Leakage by 53%, Duct Leakage by 88%, and Estimated Utilities by 25%   

ecobeco had an opportunity to catch up with one of our customers from Montgomery County to hear about how she took full advantage of the Pepco's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program. 

She hired Energy Services Group, one of ecobeco's partners, to air seal and insulate, and who supervised the implementation of Aeroseal to seal the ducts.  The net result was a 53% reduction in home air leakage, an 88% reduction in duct system leakage, and 25% estimated reduction in utilities.  And she saved 50% through Maryland and Pepco rebates!  She even had a scary crawlspace (see article below). 

Read more here:  

Hornstein Case Study 

• This rebate is in addition to the Pepco, BGE or Allegheny rebate programs that give 15% rebates.
• This rebate is in addition to the 2011 Federal $500 tax credit, and any other local programs. 

ecobeco Volunteers in our Community with Rebuilding Together 

ecobeco auditors Ben Graham and Jonathan Ferree volunteered on April 30th with Rebuilding Together Montgomery County for

Spring Rebuilding Day 2011 to make air sealing and insulation repairs on low income homes.

Spring Rebuilding Day is Rebuilding Together's "signature event: a weekend of blitz-repair at the end of April, during which [they] help approximately 40 families make needed, life and home saving repairs, with the goal of preserving homeownership in our county and providing a safe and healthy place to call home for our neighbors in need." 

Earlier in the year, ecobeco had performed several audits, which contributed to the framework guiding the repair recommendations for the targeted homes.  

"Our company is pleased to be a part of Rebuilding Together's efforts from start to finish and I am proud of our staff for taking time out of their personal lives to volunteer time to help the community," said Brian Toll, Chief Executive of ecobeco.

Rebuilding Together Montgomery County is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to helping elderly and/or disabled low-income homeowners, and families with children through home renovation and repair. Their goal is to keep people living in warmth, safety, and independence, while helping to build better communities in Montgomery County. Many of these residents have worked all their lives and have been physically and financially able to maintain their homes in good condition. Now due to illness, the loss of a spouse, aging, and/or economic hardships, they are unable do the repair work themselves and their homes deteriorate or become unsafe.

Join us and 15,000 other residents from the community for a day of children's performances, food, fun, parade, music, a classic car show and local business exhibitors. Kentlands hosts this large, all ages and family, community celebration, free and open to the public.

Come out and meet ecobeco auditor Ben and team member Nick, and learn more about energy audits! We are at Booth #87.

Let us know if you are coming! Sign up here on our facebook page. 

The Parade and Event will be held outside at Kentlands Downtown.

Visit the official event website at www.KentlandsDay.com. 

ecobeco has added a new category of articles to our monthly newsletter. We are constantly exposed to news, technology updates, field testimonials, etc. from the

Example of well installed crawl space.

Energy Industry and decided that we want to share our learnings with you! When you see an article under the heading "Energy Industry Newswire", we will provide a summary and link to a terrific article or study.

In our second month of running the Energy Industry Newswire category, we share another article from Home Energy Magazine. Learn more about crawl spaces and the functions they serve. Find out what the proper and improper ways are for maintaining these spaces. As the rains of May come upon us, understand if your crawl space will become a moist humidity trap that will endanger your home. 

Full Article: The Scary Crawl Space 

It's now easier than ever to stay up to date with happenings in the energy efficiency/ home improvement industry by following ecobeco on facebook.  We will post upcoming events, breaking news, and our helpful ecoTips.

We also hope facebook will let us talk with you and allow all of us to learn from each other.  We want to hear more of your stories, share your experiences, and talk about our contractor partners and energy efficiency products.

Click on the facebook icon below to visit our page, then click "Like" ecobeco and you're all set. Thanks!

We're a service business and your opinions and referrals matter to us!

Last year, your feedback helped us win the 2010 Super Service Award for Energy Efficiency Auditing from Angie's List. Please take a moment to share your experiences with our team and help inform your community about its local businesses. We appreciate your time to make our processes and products better!

Find out what other customers have been saying about ecobeco and leave a few comments of your own by going to Angie's List, Checkbook, Yelp and/or Facebook. If you are a member to these sites, please rate us and help grow our network!

Thank you!

1. The maximum benefit is $500, and the benefit is now 10% of the purchase price.  This is a big change from 30% up to $1,500.
2. The benefit is a lifetime benefit.  That means if you took more than $500 in benefit from 2005 - 2010, you cannot take any benefit in 2011.
3. Gas or Oil or Propane furnace or boiler benefit capped at $150.
4. Efficient property (such as insulation) capped at $300.
5. Window benefits capped at $200.

You can read more about it when Energy Star updates their website in the near future.  Also we are not tax lawyers nor accountants, so please contact your accountant or the IRS with questions about your situation.