ecobeco
May 2014 Newsletter
ecoTips, News, Deals, and More - And it's Free!
May 2, 2014
ecobeco is a Rockville-based energy efficiency company. We are a participating contractor in energy savings programs from Pepco Maryland, Baltimore Gas & Electric, and Potomac Edison (Allegheny Power). Learn more about us by visiting www.ecobeco.com.  Visit our newsletter archive here. 

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Greetings! 

It's official! Spring has arrived, and that means a change of pace, rejuvenation and growth. At ecobeco, we have been busy taking on new challenges and growing our team. This month we discuss changes to the Home Performance program, how to keep your lawn and garden green this summer, and more. So shake out those old stuffy rugs, and let's welcome in Spring!

In this month's newsletter:
  • Energy Industry Newswire: Energy Efficiency Wins Top Spot 
  • eco-tip: Rain Barrels Save Water and Your Garden
  • Energy Industry Newswire: New Rebate Requirements  
  • Pop-Quiz! What's Your Wattage?   
  • School and Community Fundraising Opportunity 
  • Reviews Matter! 
  • $250 Rebate for Montgomery County Residents Available 
  • Quick Home Energy Check-Ups with Pepco and Potomac Edison at No Charge  
  • $100 Comprehensive Energy Audits and $2,750 in Rebates in Maryland     
  • Low Interest Financing from Maryland for Energy Efficiency Upgrades   
  • Huge Savings for Apartments & Condos w/ Quick Energy Check-Ups    
  • ecobeco's Referral Program - Earn $25

Enjoy!

Energy Industry Newswire: Energy Efficiency Wins Top Spot 

A new report, The Best Value for America's Energy Dollar: A National Review of the Cost of Utility Energy Efficiency Programs, demonstrates that not only do investments in energy efficiency come with the least amount of risk to taxpayers and utilities, it's also the least expensive option. This finding comes from the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE), who surveyed 20 different states, analyzing their energy efficiency programs from 2009-2012.

 

"The cheapest energy is the energy you don't have to produce in the first place," said ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel. "Our new report shows that when utilities are examining options on how to provide their customers with cheap, clean electricity, energy efficiency is generally the best choice." 

  

EmPOWER Maryland is a great example of an energy efficiency program that helps meet the electricity needs of homes all while making our distribution systems more resilient, stable and reliable. ecobeco helps deliver EmPOWER programs to customers in the State of Maryland.

 

This is great news. We can help meet the ever increasing energy needs through investments in energy efficiency, and not by building more conventional power plants. And we can do it all while saving a little more green in our wallets.

 

eco-tip: Rain Barrels Save Water and Your Garden

Even though the first half of 2014 has been above average for precipitation, our summer could easily turn hot and dry. An easy, inexpensive way to plan ahead for a dry summer is with a rain barrel. Rain bar­rels col­lect and store water from roof down­spouts to be reused as needed for water­ing, car wash­ing, or other out­door uses where non-potable water is accept­able. Besides being a great conservation tool, rain barrels reduce expensive water bills.


You can buy complete rain barrels from local firm Aquabarrell, or chain hardware stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, and even Walmart. However, they are easy to make yourself. You can find instructions here. If you decide to reuse an old 55-gallon drum from a local company, make sure it is food-safe and wasn't used for chemicals that could harm your garden and wildlife. Large outdoor trash cans with lids also work quite well and are inexpensive. We'd love to see pictures of your rain barrel - share them with us on Facebook!

 

Energy Industry Newswire: New Rebate Requirements
Pepco's Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program will be introducing two program modifications starting May 1, 2014 to support higher savings per project and follow the best available industry standards. The two changes include: increasing the minimum overall job savings to investment ratio (SIR) and, applying a proper order for installed measures within the HPwES Program.

 

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR is an incentive program that offers to pay customers cash rebates of 50% up to $2,000 of the cost of making energy efficiency improvements to your home. Customers must first complete a Comprehensive Home Energy Audit with an approved contractor, such as ecobeco, which will identify the sources of energy loss in your home at a subsidized cost starting at $100. The audit report then makes tailored recommendations. Virtually all homes under this program will need some sort of attic air sealing and added insulation. These energy upgrades reduce your utility bills, increase the efficiency and performance of your home and make a home more comfortable and healthy.

 

Under the previous program guidelines, homeowners were able to choose some home improvement measures over others independent of the savings-to-cost ratio. With the new program modifications, homeowners must chose to have the most cost-effective improvements done first in order to receive the HPwES rebates. This is sometimes called a Prioritized Work-Scope requirement. In other words, the program will now be providing specifics on how each job should be completed in order to become eligible for program rebates.

 

This is great news for homeowners who want to get the best results at the lowest cost. Contractors providing HPwES home energy upgrades are held to the highest industry standards and will be required more than ever to ensure their customer--and ratepayers--are receiving the biggest 'bang for their buck.'

 

Call ecobeco at 240-396-2141 to see how you can benefit from the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program and make your home more comfortable, affordable, and green!

 

Pop Quiz! What's Your Wattage?  

Think you have a grasp of all the new light bulb choices and what they mean? Take our quiz and see just how much you know!

1. What measures the brightness of a bulb?
A) Watts
B) Lumens
C) Kelvins
 
2. Brian is looking to replace a 75 watt warm white incandescent bulb with something more efficient. Which below will most closely match the brightness of his old bulb?
A) 13 watt CFL
B) 23 watt LED
C) 40 watt LED
D) 18 watt CFL

3. Brian is afraid the new bulb will have an eerie blue glow. Which below will most closely match the color of his old bulb?
A) 2,700 K
B) 8,500 K
C) 5,000 K
D) 1,200 K

Answers below:

    

Answers:  

1. B, Lumens. Lumens are the measurement of light output, or how bright something looks.

2. D, 18 Watt CFL. Watts are the measurement of how much energy something uses. A CFL uses roughly 75% less energy (watts) than an incandescent to produce the same amount of Lumens (brightness), and LEDs use even less than a CFL.

3. A, 2,700 K. Kelvins (K) is the measurement of "color temperature", or what color light looks like. Warm white bulbs have a traditional yellowish glow, while daylight bulbs have a blueish tint to them. 

 

For more information about bulb choices and the differences between incandescent, CFL, and LED see our March newsletter. 

 

School and Community Fundraising Opportunity
ecobeco is proud to announce a great new fundraising program for schools, congregations, and community groups. The best part is no one has to buy anything!

For every person who completes a no-cost Quick Home Energy Check-up or $100 Comprehensive Home Energy Audit with ecobeco and identifies themselves as being part of the fundraiser for your organization, ecobeco will contribute $25. Your members will receive energy efficient items, save money, AND raise money! It's a win-win-win for everyone. 

 

To learn more and to sign up your group for a fundraiser, call Gina at 240-396-2141 ext. 714   

Reviews Matter! We'd Love to Hear Your Feedback 

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

angies 2012

 

Over the past 5 years, your feedback helped us win the

2010 & 2011 & 2012 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 Google. If you are a member of these sites, please rate us and help grow our network!

 

Thank you!

$250 Rebate for Montgomery County Residents
Great news! Montgomery County residents may be eligible for a $250 rebate on a variety of efficiency products and professional services under the Montgomery County Energy Conservation Devices Property Tax Credit. This is a $250 tax credit which can be applied to measures like air sealing, insulation, HVAC appliance replacements, programmable thermostats, and more! Call us at 240-396-2141 for additional information and to schedule your Comprehensive Home Energy Audit that will identify the options you have for making your home more energy efficient, and identify opportunities to qualify for the rebate.

Quick Home Energy Check-Ups with Pepco and Potomac Edison at No Charge To You 

All Pepco and Potomac Edison customers are eligible for a Quick Home Energy Check-up (QHEC) from ecobeco, at NO ADDITIONAL COST to your existing service! The program supports EmPower Maryland and is part of an effort to reduce electricity use state-wide. 

 

During a QHEC, your ecobeco energy auditor will install CFL Lighting and other energy-saving measures. Most home owners will save over $100 per year in electricity and another $50 per year in water and sewer costs.

 

  

  

 

 

   

Who is eligible for a Quick Home Energy Check-up? 

This service is available to all residents who live in a condo, apartment, townhouse or single family home in the Pepco service territory. Your electricity does not need to be supplied by Pepco.

Visit our website www.ecobeco.com/qhec for more information. You can make an appointment for a QHEC by calling the ecobeco office.

240-396-2141 

 

$100 Home Energy Audit and $2,000 in Rebates in Maryland

Take advantage of Maryland's aggressive Home Performance and energy savings programs! We can complete your Comprehensive Home Energy Audit in Pepco Maryland and select BGE locations.

The program features: 

  • $100 Energy Audits (for a standard-sized home).
  • Installation of CFLs, low-flow shower heads, water heater pipe wrap, and more, at no charge to the customer.
  • 50% cash rebates on air sealing, insulation, and more,up to $2,750 per household.

If you're ready to take advantage of these savings, give us a call today!

 

240-396-2141

 

 Or learn more by clicking here!

Low Interest Financing from Maryland for Energy Efficiency Upgrades

 

Finding the money for home improvements can be hard. Luckily, for homeowners making energy efficiency upgrades there are loans available to help. Two interest rates are available for eligible consumers - 6.99% or 9.99%.  Details on what kind of work is eligible is available at their website. 

 

So what are you waiting for?  


If you need help getting work done, or you want to schedule an audit, give us a call at (240) 396-2141. Questions regarding the loan program can be directed the Maryland Clean Energy Center at 301-738-6280 or loans@mdcleanenergy.org.

 

Huge Savings for Apartments & Condos with Quick Energy Check-Ups

ecobeco is one of the largest providers in Pepco's Multi-Family Quick Energy Check-Up program.

The best part about this service is that there is NO COST for buildings in the Pepco Maryland service territory. A typical home or apartment can save about $100 annually in electricity and up to $50 in water and sewer costs, from having a Check-Up!

A resident at one of our recently completed condo building projects, The Forum in North Bethesda, blogged about the fantastic experience she had with the Multi-Family Quick Energy Check-Up. Her building is projected to save over $10,000 annually and she intends to track the progress over the next few years!

We encourage you to bring this information to your Property Manager or Board of Directors.  Go green and give us a call today to help you and your building be more environmentally friendly while saving money!
 
240-396-2141  
ecobeco's Referral Program Extended - Earn $25!

Good news! ecobeco customers have been on a roll with referrals since 2012. We'd like to keep this positive momentum going and we are extending the Referral Program to July 31st, 2014!

We want to continue to reward you for all the referrals by putting a little money in your pockets when you refer your friends to ecobeco!

 

Click here to send an email to your friends about ecobeco's services.  

 

Tell your friends about our award-winning Home Energy Audit services, and when they purchase an audit (and mention you when they book it), we'll send you $25. They can call us at (240) 396-2141 to get started. 

 

One more thing to mention. You don't have to be a customer of ecobeco to take advantage of the referral program! 

 

www.ecobeco.com/referral

To qualify, audits must be completed by July 31st, 2014.

 

We hope you enjoyed reading our newsletter.  We'd love to hear from you. 

Please feel free to forward this information to friends and family.      
 
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Thanks,

Brian, Reuven, Gina, Melissa, Nick, Mike, Jim, Mario, Olu, Suresh, Sara, Stephen, Alena, Doug, Emmett, Greg, Jay, Monica, Jillian, Ellen, Nicole, Fresi, Oliver, Jake, Eraico, Jennifer, Rebecca, Ernesto, Robi, Nanda, Daniel, Brady, Ben Andrew, Henry, Leo, Siobhan, Matt, Taylor, Shira, Hillary, Justin, and Gabe.
(240) 396-2141

info@ecobeco.com