Don’t Invite an Invisible Killer to Your Home

      You can’t see it, touch it, smell it or taste it, but it kills hundreds of people each year. Poisoning by carbon monoxide is a real risk of modern life. A professional inspection of fuel-burning appliances – including furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers and space heaters – could prove to be a lifesaver. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends that the yearly, professional inspection include:

§  Checking chimneys, flues and vents for leakage and blockage by creosote and debris.

§  Checking all vents to furnaces, water heaters, boilers and other fuel-burning appliances to make sure they are not loose or disconnected.

§  Inspecting vent pipes on heating systems (i.e. oil/gas/propane furnaces & boilers).

§  Inspecting appliances for adequate ventilation. A supply of fresh air is important to help carry pollutants up the chimney, stovepipe or flue, and is necessary for the complete combustion of any fuel.

§  Making sure ventilation air openings aren’t blocked.

You can read more here to see how to protect your family from this dangerous, potentially lethal gas.

5 Quick “Go Green” Tips to Help You and Your Family This Winter

Stay Green During the Coldest Months of the Year

     Granted, your lawn is looking anything but lively at this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be green – as in environmentally savvy. Global warming is caused primarily by a buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth’s atmosphere. And since global warming is now a worldwide concern, it no longer “costs” to go green. In fact, it “pays” to go green, and in more ways than one.

Here are 5 quick tips for going green this season:

Weatherize your home.  It doesn’t take much to reduce your impact on the environment. Simply by caulking around doorways and windows and replacing old weather stripping can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1700 pounds per year.

Make sure your home has adequate insulation.  This one step can save 25% on your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of CO2 per year.

Replace old appliances with newer energy-efficient models.  Just in time for Christmas. Just by using an energy-efficient refrigerator, you can save 500 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Replacing your washing machine with a low-energy, low-water usage machine, will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 440 pounds per year. Converting your gas furnace to a dual fuel system, that pairs a gas furnace with an electric heat pump, will reduce flue emissions by as much as 50% per year.

Upgrade your heat pump and air conditioner to R-410a refrigerant.  The Clean Air Act of 1990 prohibits the production of HCFC-based systems by 2010, and bans Freonâ-22 production by 2020. R-410a refrigerant is environmentally friendly, and if your system ever gets a leak then it will not damage the ozone.

Maintain your HVAC system.  Changing your filter once a month or so maximizes your system’s performance, minimizes its energy usage, and ensures that the system keeps the inside of your home comfortable. And this one simple, but often over-looked step, saves 350 pounds of CO2 each year.

Remember, “green” is about what you can save – energy dollars, carbon dioxide, the environment, and ultimately, our planet. So do your part and go green this winter.

      Howell’s Heating& Air Conditioning has been improving the indoor environments of the Richmond area since 1969. 

People Are More Important

During the Holidays we become more aware of what really matters in life. People are more important than things. Relationships are worth nurturing. And the spirit of the season really isn't in a box under the tree.

 

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women at Howell's. Their efforts each and every day help thousands of Richmond residents.

 

The office staff - without them the daily grind of running a business could not get done. A friendly "Good Morning" rings throughout the halls. A bowl of sweet treats sits at Nancy's receptionist desk, inviting all who need a brief pick-me-up. The cubicles are decorated and primed for the "Best Decorations" contest. (It looks like a Ben Franklin store exploded.) From making sure invoices are accurate to organizing ESOP events, the office staff are truly the unsung heroes, and for that I say, "Thank you."

The Commercial Department - Many of you reading this have been inside a building here in Richmond that has been made comfortable by the staff in the Commercial Department. In fact, many of the shops at Stony Point Mall and Short Pump Mall have our systems in them to provide their customers a warm haven for holiday shopping. The commercial field crews have to battle cold and hot weather, fickle project superintendants, inspection deadlines, and the omnipresent OSHA inspector. And they still manage to perform their responsibilities on time and with a great attitude. Keep up the good work.

The New Residential Construction Department - The housing market may have crashed, but our New Res. department hasn't let that affect them. The field crews are up and working well before most of us even hit the snooze alarm. Their dedication to comfort can be seen in many homes in the Kingham at the Grove, Founders Bridge Estates, and Mountain Springs subdivisions, just to name a few. Like the commercial crews, the New Res crews have to endure much of the same challenges, but at the end of the day they know that they have created a new comfortable home in Richmond. Thank you.

 

The Add-on Replacement Department - These guys are great. If your system needs replacing due to age or failure, then you will have met the sales team. With your best interests in mind they design a system that is just what you're looking for, and then it is handed off to the best installation crews in the country. These guys are not only trained, but they respect you, and your home. Their ultimate goal is to provide you with a quick and efficient installation; treating your home as if it was their own. Thank you guys for all you do everyday.

The Service Department - My favorite! From a routine maintenance inspection on a heat pump in Mechanicsville to a heat exchanger replacement in Midlothian to an oil boiler nozzle change in Rockville, my service team is ready anytime and any place for any and every issue at hand. Of course, I take credit for this, but you will not find a better trained crew of service techs, who are also devoted to great customer service. Many of you know Dennis, one of our most popular technicians, but I want to tell you that our whole service team is just like Dennis. John, Jerry, Ricky, Cardell, Jason, Andy, Jim, and Chris are all fantastic and I am proud that I have each of them on my staff. Thank you guys for everything that you do everyday. From the weekend service calls, to trudging through snow to help a customer get their heat back up, and battling the 100° temperatures in July to catch that extra service call with a smile on your face. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

 

And last, but certainly not least - YOU! Our customer! Thank you for choosing Howell's to be your HVAC service company. We strive everyday to improve our performance for you. I hope each and every one of you have a safe and happy holiday season. We appreciate being able to serve you, and look forward to helping you or your friends and family whenever the need arises. So again thank you for being a Howell's customer.

 

Please, while you're reading this, pause for a second to say a prayer for a friend who could use it. That's a gift to them...just as you are a gift to us.

 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year,

Tracy Parrish

If It’s Broken, Fix It! Or Should You?

            (First and foremost, I want you to gather your last two years worth of HVAC service tickets and hold onto them. We will go over them in a moment.)

Your heating and cooling system cuts on and off over 25,000 times each year, and in a typical Richmond Summer, your air conditioner runs the equivalent of your car driving 150,000 miles. And yet, you are surprised every single time it breaks down on you.

You call a service company, they send a technician out, he assesses the system, diagnoses the repair, gives you the repair cost, and then asks you the ultimate question that you were hoping you would go your whole life without ever hearing, “Would you like for me to repair it, or would you like to replace it?

("Why is he doing this to me? Why do I need to make this decision now? I have kids in college, and I am about to go on vacation, I cannot think of this now. I will take the easy way out, the cheapest way. After all, it’s just a heating and cooling system!")

 Let’s face it; nobody likes to be in that position. And you're right, it is just a heating and cooling system; it is not that exciting. It doesn’t play our favorite songs at a touch of a button. You can’t go 0-60 in 6 seconds with the top down. Or hit a 300-yard drive off the tee into the wind with it. And it doesn’t even have a 50” high-def screen with digital Dolby surround sound. It is just a heating and cooling system. Or is it?

We overlook the true value that our heating and cooling system provides us on a daily basis. We don’t complain about our heating and cooling system when it IS working. We relish it when coming in from a 95-degree day. Your heating and cooling system is probably the most expensive equipment in your home. Plus, it’s responsible for keeping the temperature constant. It also supplies your home with “air exchanges”, like breaths for you and I, to keep the air fresh, moving, and healthy. And it is required to do all of these functions simultaneously. Winter or summer. Day or night.  Automatically, all year long, and we just expect it to do it forever.

So, you are at that point of decision; Repair or replace? When weighing the costs and benefits of repairing or replacing older equipment with more efficient HVAC equipment, keep the following points in mind: 1) Age of Equipment. 2) Fuel Costs. 3) Indoor Air Quality. 4) Length in Home 5) Return on Investment.

One of the most direct points to consider regarding replacement of your HVAC system is simply its age. Do you have a system that is more than 10 years old? Even if it still runs dependably, you still might be better off with a new one. The physical life of HVAC equipment, similar to personal computers, can often be longer than its economic life. Plus, older heat exchangers are more likely to develop cracks or rust holes that could cause an unhealthy environment for you

As energy supplies dwindle and production costs and demand rise, the cost of electricity and gas are bound to go up per unit. Fuel costs tend to go up more than down over the long run. I know, tell me something I don’t know. As fuel costs go up, are electricity and gas bills from cooling and heating straining your monthly budget? Knowing that we, as homeowners cannot control the cost of fuel, we can however control the amount of kilowatts used within our home. When looking at a repair in comparison to a replacement option, you must weigh the amount of current Kw’s used per month/year with the existing equipment against the potential energy usage reduction a newer, more efficient system could provide. A low-cost repair of $300 on an 8 SEER system will not provide similar energy savings from a new 13 SEER minimum system. Also, the monthly savings continue after you reach the “break even” or “pay back” period on the new equipment.

Dirt is the number one cause of system failure. Now you know the reason why we tell you to change your filter once a month. Your heating cooling system is responsible for circulating the air within your home. Today’s homes are built tighter than ever before. Since 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has consistently ranked indoor air pollution as one of the top five environmental risks to public health. The indoor air quality in your home today directly affects your heath, comfort, productivity, and overall quality of life. Temperature and humidity play a role in our health because levels that are too high or too low can contribute to illness as well as discomfort. Air enters your home each time you open your doors or windows. With that air comes dust, dirt, pollen, smog, and other parts of the "outside" that you would prefer to keep there. A minor 10% leak in your HVAC system's ductwork can introduce pollutants into the living environment, especially if the ductwork is located in a damp and musty crawl space or in a hot, dusty attic. A repair to an existing system only perpetuates an under-performing air system, which is responsible for the overall health of everyone inside. If you notice problems with in your home now, i.e. sneezing, constant headaches, stuffy noses, dry throat and nasal passages, hot and colds spots, etc, then consider the investment to a newer system for your health and comfort. And, make sure that your ductwork is inspected and, if any leaks are apparent, then get them sealed immediately.

Do we ever really know how long we are planning to stay in our homes? In today’s housing market, I am staying put. Of course, my wife has been planning on moving for the last five years. The average repair cost for a compressor is around $1,000. After, you have weighed the age of the system against the repair, and then you want to determine your residence expectancy, and Repair Cost Ratio. Take those service tickets that I told you to get, if you do not have them then try and estimate in total dollars how much you have spent on HVAC service repairs over the last two years and how many service calls you have made. Now, add up the total cost of all of the repairs, and then divide them by 24 months (Or the duration of months from your first ticket). For example, if you have 5 service calls that total $1,200 in total service dollars spent in the last two years, then you take the $1,200 and divide by 24 months and you see that your Repair Cost Ratio is $50/month. Now, I want you to simply take the duration of 24 months and divide that by the number of service tickets (5) or calls. This number indicates on your own historical averages, that you will make a repair once every 4.8 months. This information is important to know when making the decision to make the repair today, because if you do then, you will know that you will be paying an additional $50 a month until the next repair, and that the next repair is coming less than 5 months from now. Lastly, will you be in the house for another two years? Five years? Take your Repair Cost Ratio and add the extra expense of today’s repair during that time frame. How does the picture look?

Most HVAC contractors use the term “payback” when talking to a homeowner about a new heating and cooling system. The length of time in months and/or years it will take for a new system to pay for itself in energy savings. Most consumers do not have everyday thinking about payback while, on the other hand, we are exposed to Return on Investment information, from our banks, investment portfolios, and the news. Simply put it is the money returned by an investment, divided by the investment amount. For example, if you invest $100 and receive $3 interest, then the ROI is 3%. In HVAC terms, the investment is of course the total amount of a new system, and the estimated annual energy savings represents the interest or return. For instance, if you were to invest $6,500 in a passbook savings account you might get 2-3% return, or a 3-5% return in a CD. But these returns are taxable! That means that the net return on investment will be the initial ROI less the customer’s tax rate. But if you invest the same $6,500 into a new system replacement price, and depending upon the weather conditions, utility rates, and customer usage the annual energy savings might be $350. Then the ROI would be $350 divided by $6,500, which would yield a 5.3% return. The ROI is all net to the customer. Pretty darn good.

When consumers decide to buy toaster ovens, televisions and DVD players, the process is typically to go out, check prices and buy the product with the best price. Price shopping makes the purchase easy. The price tells us which manufacturer to choose. But, when it comes to buying a heating and cooling system, price may get you into deep trouble. You don’t need the weatherman to tell you that it will soon be hot in Richmond. And it feels great to come inside from summer’s heat and feel the cool, dry air from your air conditioner. But what will you do when it breaks? You can only take off so many clothes before it is considered illegal. The unfortunate thing is that an air conditioner usually “breaks” when it is running the hardest, or when you need it most. And on those 90-degree days, these same homeowners would gladly give their right arm for air conditioning NOW! And, it is at this moment, as the house begins to heat up, and the extra humidity swirls around you, and you have the technician salivating at ripping open your system, a homeowner needs to be as calm and cautious, as ever, before they make that decision (hopefully a good one!) that will last for the next 1 to 15 years. For more information, take our “Repairvs. Replace Quiz”. You will not believe your eyes.

Heating System Efficiency & Replacement Tips

Space heating is the largest energy expense in most homes, accounting for two-thirds of annual energy bills in cold climates.

Why Buy an Energy Efficient Furnace/Boiler?

Heating is the largest energy expense in most homes, accounting for almost two-thirds of annual energy bills in colder areas of the country. Heating systems in the United States emit a billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) and about 12% of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted by the nation. Reducing energy use for heating is the single most effective way to reduce your home's contribution to global environmental problems.
Conservation efforts and a new high-efficiency heating system can often cut your pollution output and fuel bills in half. Upgrading your furnace or boiler from an AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) of 56% to 90% in an average cold-climate house will save 1.5 tons of CO2 emissions if you heat with gas or 2.5 tons if you heat with oil and will cut your heating bill by almost 40%.
If your furnace or boiler is old, worn out, inefficient, or significantly oversized, the simplest solution is to replace it with a modern high-efficiency model. Old coal burners that were switched over to oil or gas are prime candidates for replacement, as well as gas furnaces without electronic (pilotless) ignition.

About Furnace/Boiler Efficiency

A central furnace or boiler's efficiency is measured by annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). AFUE is a measure of how efficient the appliance is in using fossil fuel (gas or oil) or electricity (for an electric furnace) over a typical year of use.
An all-electric furnace or boiler has no flue loss through a chimney. The AFUE rating for an all-electric furnace or boiler is between 95% and 100%. The lower values are for units installed outdoors because they have greater jacket heat loss.
The efficiency of manufactured furnaces is governed by the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987 and regulated by the U.S. Department of Energy. The minimum allowed AFUE rating for a noncondensing, fossil-fueled, warm-air furnace is 78%; the rating for a fossil-fueled boiler is 80%; and the rating for a gas-fueled steam boiler is 75%. A condensing furnace or boiler condenses the water vapor produced in the combustion process and captures the heat released from this condensation. The AFUE rating for a condensing unit can be much higher (by more than 10 percentage points) than a noncondensing furnace. Although a condensing unit costs more than a noncondensing unit, the condensing unit can save you money in fuel costs over the 15 to 20-year life of the unit.

Tips for Buying a New Furnace/Boiler

• If you live in a cold climate, it usually makes sense to invest in the highest efficiency system available. In milder climates with lower annual heating costs, the extra investment required to go from 80% to 90%-95% efficiency may be hard to justify.
• When shopping for high-efficiency furnaces and boilers, look for dependability. Buy a system with a good warranty and a reputable company to back it up.
• When buying gas and oil systems, specify sealed combustion. Sealed-combustion appliances bring outside air directly into the burner and exhaust flue gases (combustion products) directly to the outside, without the need for a draft hood or damper. They generally burn more efficiently and pose no risk of introducing dangerous combustion gases into your house. With nonsealed-combustion appliances, back-drafting of combustion gases can be a big problem, especially in tightly-sealed modern homes.

Tips for Lowering Your Furnace/Boiler's Energy Usage

• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
• Keep the temperature fairly constant, as frequent changes will utilize more energy by causing unnecessary cycling on and off. Setting back the temperature at night, however, is recommended.
• Clean or replace furnace filters once a month or as needed.
• Oil-fired boilers should be professionally cleaned and tuned once a year. Gas-fired equipment needs to be checked every other year.
• Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
• Keep draperies and shades on south-facing windows open during the heating season to allow sunlight to enter your home; close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
• Close the door to an unoccupied room or area that is isolated from the rest of the house and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heat for that room or area.
• Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely. Turn these fans off as soon as they are no longer needed. In about 1 hour, these fans can pull out a house-full of warmed or cooled air. They can also pull dangerous furnace combustion gasses into the house in some situations.
• Check your ducts for air leaks. First look for sections that should be joined but have separated and then look for obvious holes.
• Do not use duct tape to repair leaky ducts. Standard duct tape has been shown unreliable in sealing duct leaks. Various mastics or non-cloth-backed tapes are preferable.

For more information, Ask-A-Comfort Consultant from Howell's Heating & Air Conditioning.

With Cooler Weather Ahead, Your Furnace Needs a Little TLC. Find Out Why.

Most of our customers had concerns - like you - with one or more of these...

• Energy bills are too high.
• Indoor Air Quality is poor.
• Too many repair bills.
• Unreliable heating and cooling system (or service!)
• Just not comfortable enough!

Believe me, we know how tough finding a solution to those can be, but fortunately, that's what Howell's happily provides for thousands of Richmond customers.

First, your heating and cooling system is probably the most expensive equipment in your home. Plus, it is responsible for keeping the temperature constant. It also supplies your home "air exchanges" (like breaths for you and me) to keep the air fresh, moving, and healthy.

And lastly, your heating and cooling system is required to do all of these functions simultaneously. Winter and Summer. Night and day. Automatically. All year long.

So, here's what you can expect from a properly tuned heating and cooling system by one of our 'champion' Howell's service technicians:

Reduced Heating & Cooling Costs	Right out of the gate, a properly maintained heating and cooling system will save you money. Guaranteed! One maintenance visit will pay for itself in energy savings. Removing dirt and checking proper refrigerant charge will get your system back to manufacturer's specifications.
Improves Your Energy Efficiency	Your system "eats" energy every time it cuts on - roughly 6 times per hour in mid Winter. An under-performing system can be as high as 8-10 times. Ouch!
Adds Years to Equipment life	Dirt is the #1 cause of system failure. Dennis, one of our "champion" technicians for the last 25 years, has said that he has seen too many compressors die to the fact that the indoor coil was blocked up with dirt. If you want your system around for when you really need it, or are trying to "squeeze" and extra year or two out of it, then get rid of that dirt!
Keeping you and your loved ones Safe	I don't want to scare you, but an un-maintained fossil fuel burning furnace can be deadly. Each year we read about Carbon monoxide fatalities, due to unserviced, or poorly serviced, systems.
Improves Indoor Air Quality	Now your system just moves the air throughout the house, right? In part, your filter is responsible for removing the allergens or particulate out of the air stream. However, one important factor can affect Indoor Air Quality, and that is your duct system. Most duct systems we find have about 20-30% leakage. If your duct system is located in a damp, musty crawlspace, or in a hot, humid, and dusty attic, then your duct system is pulling air from those areas into your system, into your home, and bypassing your filter.
The Gift of Foresight	It is not by chance that we have given the name Energy Savings Plan (or "ESP") to our maintenance contract. We want to give you the gift of foresight. A small problem left undetected or uncorrected can domino into bigger, more costly problems down the road. Wouldn't you liketo know there will be a problem before it costs an arm and a leg.

Let us tune your system that can clean your air, save you on energy, and put comfort back in your personal or business environment. . .while it saves your system (and bank account!) from early replacement.
Find out how you can get a discount on your next tune-up and every other repair from us. Or to Schedule a Maintenance Visit Click Here.

Top 10 Energy Bill Slashers For Fall 2011

    Fall is a great season to save money. We just had school bills and supplies to buy, holiday shopping bills are coming up, and of course, new winter clothes. So, let's find out areas in your life that can actually SAVE you money. Take a moment now to see how you can cut your energy bills with these helpful techniques...

1. Set back your thermostat. This seems so simple. It takes just 5 seconds, and it could shave $30 a month on your energy bill. Adjust it to the coolest level that's comfortable. Caution: Don't set the thermostat more than 5 degrees cooler than the normal rating when you're away because of the amount of energy you'll need to heat it back up. Even better: Call us to get a new Ecobee Programmable thermostat with the IPhone/Droid app so you can setback your thermosat anytime, anywhere.
2. Clean warm air registers, baseboard heaters and/or radiators. Make sure that carpeting, furniture or draperies are not blocking them. Putting furniture over registers, or in front of radiators blocks the amount of energy that register/radiator can emit into the room, thus causing your system to run longer cycles, and thus (you guessed it!) causing you more money to operate.
3. Close that flue! Does this really even need to be said!? Oh yes it does! Fall and winter fires in teh fireplace are warm, cozy and just plain wonderful, but an open flue damper draws warm air out of your house 24 hours a day. Your system will have to work overtime to heat up the house. If you do shut your flue on a regular basis, do a quick match test. Light a match, hold it around the seal of your damper to check for leaks. If the flame is drawn up to the flue then you have a leak. And now that you know you can get your chimney company to come seal it for you.
4. Consider a humidifier. The health benefits from a humidifier are known, but the Fall/Winter energy savings you can get from a humidifier can be as high as 20%. Humidity keeps your warm forced air trapped in the living area in the house longer, thus satisfying your thermostat longer.
5. Get a heating tune-up! This can save money, spot a danger, and make you more comfortable. What is the #1 cause of system failure? Dirt! Find out other Little Known Facts About Your HVAC System to see how much a tune-up could save you.
6. Have your ductwork checked for leaks. If you've got split, fallen, or perforated ductwork, then this can save you a bundle! You should keep all the warm air you are paying for inside your home. Call us to help.
7. Change your return air filters. How often do you change your air filter? Now that you have that number in mind....give me the real answer! Every 3 months, 6 months, what filter? It's ok, call us with your filter size and we can drop them off for you. A blocked return from a filter can cause your system to operate much longer than normal as well as not provide the temperature that you desire inside the home. Do the math, save more by spending a little to change your filter more often.
8. Lower your dishwasher and washing machine temperatures. They use hot water from your house supply and drain it in a hurry. That's much more costly in cold weather.
9. Consider storm windows or more efficient windows. Although sometimes expensive, these can pay for themselves. Just getting a quote and estimate of savings will help. Most estimates are free (except your time, of course!).
10. Seal all pipe penetrations into your house. Where is the warm air? ("Inside the house") Where is the cold air? ("Outside the house") You might as well consider your crawlspace and attic areas "outside" your house. These places are not conditioned and yet they have hundreds of penetrations for water pipes, sewer lines, vent stacks, etc. Take a can of spray insulation from your local hardware store and seal up all those penetrations. Much like a leaky flue (see #3), these small penetrations add up and can be extrememly costly year in and year out if left untreated.

Bonus: Want to know the best way to save money? Call me and send me all your extra money for safekeeping! Just kidding! I hope you found some ways to save.

Contact us for a Free Home Energy Survey and we can point out areas where you can start saving money on your energy bills right away.

Virginia Launches Limited $1,500 Home Appliance Rebate. Act Now!

Simple Way to Get a $1,500 Check

•  And 5 More Ways to Save a Comfortable Fortune This Holiday Season

Yes, I know, everybody's got some "deal" they're screaming about. Me too. Except I'll offer you proof....

The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) is launching a supplemental appliance rebate program for selected high-end, “super efficient” High Efficiency, Tier 2 and Tier 3 appliances and heating cooling equipment on October 24, 2011. These appliances have been rated by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), which has worked with energy-efficiency organizations and utilities nationwide to promote common specifications for systems and products that offer greater energy efficiency. High Efficiency, Tier 2 and Tier 3 equipment exceeds the energy conservation standards of ENERGY STAR, which has been the qualifying threshold for our current appliance rebate program to date. The new items will qualify for substantially higher rebate amounts, ranging from $275 to $1,500.
These appliances are more expensive to purchase, but they also are much more energy efficient, and will help to ensure that Virginia residents receive the maximum benefits in dollar and energy savings from the program. The new higher-tier appliance program will supplement, not replace the existing appliance rebate program.
Federal grant guidelines stipulate that rebates will not be available for any of the above products purchased prior to the program launch date, which for this program is October 24, 2011. Households may, however, apply for a rebate for more than one Super Efficient, Tier 2 and Tier 3 appliance if purchased after this date.

This is a limited availability program with limited funds. Which means once the funds are reserved they will close down the program. So Act Now.

We have just finished a report that will tell you 5 More Ways to Save as Much as $4,500 on a New HVAC System.

Take the Edge off Rising Energy Costs

“Breaking News: Energy Costs Going Up!”

Oh, what a shocker. Why don’t the news outlets just replay the same story from LAST time this happened? I mean, come on. Enough already.

This doesn’t bother me so much when supplies are genuinely interrupted, say a hurricane or even war unrest.

But sometimes the price rise is just a little “too convenient.” Like with changing of the seasons (“Heating oil going up this winter!”) or exactly when more people are travelling for vacations (“Gas prices surge this summer!”)

Do you agree?

I say we fight back. Honestly, there are TONS of ways you can hack your home energy bill down to size and QUIT overpaying. Here’s a report with some steps you can take that’ll keep your money where it belongs… in your pocket.

Hey, there’s a headline for you: Breaking News: People Want To Stop Losing Money! Remember, you heard it here first! Check out the report, “How to Take the Edge off Rising Energy Costs.” Enjoy.