It seems the more money the State adds to the MEA Rebate Program, the faster the money is claimed by Maryland residents looking to improve their homes' energy efficiency.  The State of Maryland recently added another $250,000 to the pot bringing the total to $2.35 million in available rebates.  As of October 1, there is just over $400,000 remaining, which we expect to last through the end of October.   To see how much money remains, visit:   http://energy.maryland.gov/homeperformance/   

"If you have your ecobeco audit report and you haven't taken action yet on air sealing or insulation, give us a call today.  We'll find you a qualified contractor who can help you get your application into the State of Maryland quickly," says Brian Toll, President and Founder of ecobeco. "We feel the additional $250,000 of funding will likely extend the program for another month. No more than 2 months." 

• 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. 

This article, written by ecobeco's Co-Founder and Vice-President Reuven Walder, is adapted from his article that appears in the October 2011 edition of Beltway Buzz, a new publication for the DC area.

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You know that Fall has arrived when the leaves on the trees begin to show hues of yellow and red. The summer's heat is overtaken by dry winds and cool breezes and you begin to spend more time indoors. This is the perfect time to prepare your house for the cold weather season that is just around the corner. ecobeco can help you to get ready for the season by implementing simple Do-it-Yourself measures or more complex professional projects that can dramatically improve efficiency and comfort in your home. Below are Professional Services and a few Do-It-Yourself options to consider.

Professional Services 

Get a Home Energy Audit from ecobeco: If you want to learn how to improve all aspects of your home's energy efficiency and comfort, get a Home Energy Audit. For an unbiased, whole home approach, your auditor should be affiliated with your local Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program and ecobeco's team of certified auditors are trained and authorized through this program. Energy audits quantify your home's air leakage, insulation effectiveness, heating and cooling system performance and safety, appliance and lighting efficiency and other components. Certified auditors perform several diagnostic tests including a blower door air leakage test, infrared camera scan, furnace and water heater safety and efficiency and duct leakage tests. You will receive a written report that lists the recommended measures with projected energy savings in prioritized order. You can learn more at www.ecobeco.com/energyaudit.

Air Seal the Leaks and Insulate: In most homes, air sealing and insulating are the two most important measures to implement. Doing both of these measures can dramatically improve problems including high energy bills, comfort issues and ice dams. This type of work is implemented by a professional who specializes in weatherization techniques that are proven to reduce leakage in home. Similar to your auditor, I recommend that you use a contractor that participates in your local Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® Program. Areas where efforts are most effective are your attic, basement and duct lines, which can have a variety of large holes that allow your home's conditioned air to escape. If you live in Maryland or Virginia, make sure to get the work done by a contractor participating your state's program so that you can take advantage of the energy improvement rebates (see "Rebate Programs" below).    

Tune Up Your Furnace: Furnace inspections by a qualified heating system professional is recommended annually to assure that your system is running at its optimal performance and will also identify any major health and safety issues such as a cracked heat exchanger or gas leaks. An energy audit will also help to identify any major safety issues from a gas or oil burning furnace.  

Do-It-Yourself Measures
Check Your Windows and Doors: During the spring and summer, windows were likely opened at some point during the season. So go around to each window and make sure that they are properly closed and latched. If you find broken or non-functioning latches or windows that are stuck open, you should fix them yourself or have them repaired. An open window can dramatically affect comfort and efficiency in a space. Doors should be weatherized with durable weather stripping as well. If you find that the trim around windows and doors is leaky, then these should be sealed with caulk. Also, sometimes windows feel drafty when they really are not. Often, what you are feeling is cold temperature penetrating through the window itself. Try installing thick window coverings as an extra layer of protection from the cold outdoors. If after doing all these things you can't stop the drafts, it might be a good time to call an Energy Auditor to help.

Control the Airflow: In some homes, there are valves (also known as dampers) on duct lines in the basement and/or attic by which you can control the flow of air to specific areas of your home. These help to direct air from your heating and cooling system to desired locations in your home. As a rule of thumb, adjust dampers in summer to direct more cool air to the upper levels of your home. In winter adjust dampers to deliver more hot air to the lower levels. You can also open and close registers in rooms if you don't find any dampers as an alternative. If you find temperatures still vary widely from floor to floor, consider running your HVAC system's fan more frequently or all the time. Turn the fan setting from "auto" to "on" and leave it on for a few days to see if that helps.  

Fireplaces and Dryer Vents: Wood burning fireplaces have dampers so that when they are not in use you can keep the cold air from infiltrating your home. However, these dampers are often in disrepair or simply ineffective. An easy solution is to install a Fireplace Draft Stopper. This device is essentially an inflatable balloon made from a durable material that is inserted into the fireplace to keep the cold air out - and it can be easily removed when you want to burn a fire. Note: if you have a gas fireplace, you must keep the damper open - according to building code. If you don't use your gas fireplace, consider decommissioning it and sealing the flue with caulk or using a draft stopper. Another device that can help reduce air leakage is an air tight vent cover for the dryer outlet on the outside of your house. This type of outlet will keep unwanted visitors such as rodents and insects out of your home. For more info, both of these products can be found at http://www.ecobeco.com/Search.aspx?k=battic . 

Rebate Programs

Take advantage of energy incentive programs. Homeowners are eligible for energy efficiency rebates from the State of Maryland and Virginia, and from utilities in Maryland including Pepco and Baltimore Gas and Electric. Even Montgomery County, Maryland has an energy efficiency rebate program. The benefits vary based on where you live. For example, someone living in Silver Spring, MD can obtain rebates that cover 70% of the costs of energy efficiency improvements up to $5,300 for a limited time. In Virginia, you can save up to 20% up to $595 per household. These incentives help you to target air leakage, insulation improvements, duct sealing and heating and cooling upgrades. In Maryland, you need an Energy Audit from a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® participating auditor. ecobeco is a member of this program so contact us to get the process started!   A more comprehensive list of incentives is available at http://www.dsireusa.org . 

With these tips, hopefully you will stay warm and cozy this winter while reducing your utility expenses!  Visit us at http://www.ecobeco.com for more information. 

The Montgomery County Rebate has some similarities and differences with the State Rebate:

You finished the energy efficiency improvements in your home, and you are wondering what else can you do? Going solar seems like an interesting project, but fronting $40K for a system does not. No longer. 

Sungevity Solar brings its groundbreaking Solar Lease to Maryland helping you do your part for the environment and increase your home's value. Sungevity is a top-ranked California solar company and has expanded its coverage area to Maryland.  The solar lease features:  

• $0 Down Lease or Prepaid Lease - Instead of paying full price up-front, you can lease the panels for a low monthly cost.  Alternatively, by prepaying the lease, you can avoid finance charges and eliminate monthly payments completely.    

• Instant Savings with Guaranteed Output - Sungevity's performance guarantee states upfront what your expected solar output will be so that there is no guesswork. Plus, most customers are saving an average of 15% on their monthly energy bills with the solar panels!

• Full-Service Solar - Sungevity maintains the panels at no cost to you for the life of the lease. 

• A free, no-hassle iQuote within 24 hours - Using super-smart satellite technology, Sungevity can provide your iQuote in 24 hours. Then, the Sungevity sales consultant will answer your questions by phone. Everything is electronic. You can go from iQuote to contract as soon as you're ready.

• If you are ready for an iQuote or want to learn more, contact ecobeco's office at 240 396 2141 x2 or click to get started. 

• Be sure to use referral code "ecobeco" to ensure discounted pricing.   

• Note the Sungevity Lease is currently available only to Maryland customers with FICO scores of 700 or higher.  This requirement fluctuates, so we encourage customers with 600 - 700 FICO scores to obtain iQuotes so Sungevity can contact you when the lease requirements change. 

• Sungevity solar is only available in Maryland 

CURRENT SPECIALs (You can get both): 

Special 1: Receive your first monthly lease payment from ecobeco!*  Be sure to enter referral code "ecobeco" on the last page when you create your iQuote.  Or call us at (240) 396-2141 x 2 and we will be happy to submit the iQuote request for you.   

Special 2: Sign your Lease within 4 weeks of your iQuote, and you'll receive 10% off your lease rates PLUS a new iPAD 2.    

*ecobeco will provide a cash payment equal to one month of Sungevity lease payments up to a total of $150 per household (fully prepaid leaseholders will receive $150).  Allow 6 weeks after activation of your solar system to receive payment. To qualify, customer must use the referral code 'ecobeco' when creating an iQuote.  Visit http://www.ecobeco.com/solar for more information. 

Click here to send an email to your friends about ecobeco's services. Tell your friends about Sungevity Solar, and if they sign up for solar power using the "ecobeco" referral code and mention your name in the notes section of their iQuote, we'll send you a check for $250.    

One more thing to mention.  You don't have to be a customer of ecobeco to take advantage of the referral program.  Tell your friends about our program and they can tell their friends and we'll spread the green around!  

www.ecobeco.com/referral  

ecobeco in the Community With Solar Power - Montgomery Mall 

ecobeco has extended their stay in Montgomery Mall in Bethesda near Macy's Home and the Food Court until the end of October. Go shopping for new clothes, maybe pick up some birthday gifts and sign up for money-saving solar energy on the same trip! We have a kiosk open weekdays from 3-9pm, and all day Saturdays and Sundays. Our staff member, Brian, can help you with any of your energy efficiency questions at the Mall.  

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.