Monday, January 28, 2013

Why EnergySmart: It's a Steal-of-a-Deal!


EnergySmart's service costs are subsidized for you!
Act now for a LIMITED TIME DISCOUNT! An EnergySmart Home Energy Assessment will only cost you $90. Regularly this fantastic service runs at $120, and even that cost is well below what you would spend hiring an expert advisor on your own, and having the thorough home energy assessment provided with EnergySmart.

EnergySmart will complete a Home Energy Assessment, then pair you with an expert Energy Advisor, who will:

  • Install FREE energy and water-saving items
  • Provide and explain a report on your home’s energy use
  • Help determine the most cost-effective home improvements
  • Help you get and evaluate bids from qualified contractors
  • Help you find and apply for rebates and financial incentives

For the approximate cost of two family dinners out this month, you can get your home the help it needs to be a healthier, more comfortable, more efficient dwelling for you and your family!


Free phone advising option?
Do you have questions for a home energy expert, but aren't sure if you'd like a full home assessment? Call today to get started for FREE.
  • Answer questions about your home and get tips based on results from similar homes
  • Help finding and accessing rebates and low-interest financing
  • Help with contractor selection (if needed)
  • This option does NOT include a Home Energy Assessment, a recommendations report, or any quick energy-saving devices.


Already had an audit? Get EnergySmart for free!



Get EnergySmart Now!
www.energysmartyes.com/


written by Kate Taft

Monday, January 7, 2013

National Radon Action Month!

January is National Radon Action Month and EnergySmart wants to help!! We are offering free radon test kits* as part of our services! Normally test kits range from $15 - $40, plus the cost for analysis, but Boulder County Public Health is covering the cost of both the kit and the lab analysis for enrolled EnergySmart participants.

Have you had your home tested for radon recently?

Did you know that Colorado has moderate to high levels of this naturally occurring colorless, odorless, radioactive gas?

Radon
A gas that comes up through the soil and normally dissipates, radon becomes a cause for worry when it sneaks into your home through cracks, joints, loose-fitting pipes, etc. The gas will accumulate, especially in the winter when we close our windows and seal up our homes against the cold.

Dr. Maria Neira, the United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO) warns, "Most radon-induced lung cancers occur from low and medium dose exposures in people's homes. Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer after smoking in many countries."
  
According to Colorado State University Extension, "surveys show that homes in most Colorado counties have the potential for radon levels above EPA’s recommended action level."

Map of Radon Zones in Colorado
Red area is high risk (greater than 4pCi/L). Orange area is moderate risk (2 - 4pCi/L).  
There are no low risk areas in Colorado.

Keep your home safe, and your family healthy! Enroll with EnergySmart and an advisor will bring a test kit. If high levels are detected, Boulder County Public Health can advise for a radon-free home!


Read more about radon and understand the risks:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/consumer/09953.html

http://www.epa.gov/radon/states/colorado.html

http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/index1.html

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/brochure/profile_radon.htm

Video: Radon the Invisible Killer - produced by the Colorado Department of Public Health, 2006



* There is a limited supply of the free radon test kits and they will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The only thing the customer needs to do is leave it in their house for about 5 days, note the date the test began and ended on the test kit packaging, then simply drop the kit into the mail to be sent to the lab.  Even the postage is paid, so there is truly no cost to the homeowner for the kit.  The radon test kit is available for free to EnergySmart participants living in owner-occupied, single-family homes (the kits do not work well in multi-family buildings and rental units are not eligible). Participants must agree to have the lab release the results to Boulder County Public Health for statistical purposes, as well as for follow up (as to what steps to take next) by BCPH if the results show elevated radon levels.


written by Kate Taft

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Home Energy Makeover Grand Prize Winner: The Reichert Family

One part of the winner selection was asking our semi-finalists to submit creative answers to "why we need a home energy makeover". Here is the essay written by our grand prize winner, the Reichert family:

Home Energy Makeover

I was born in Boulder March of 1968.  We recently moved to Table Mesa to raise our 6 year old son.   If you have kids, one of the unexpected joy of raising one is that you get to re-live your childhood.  We have had many adventures in Boulder as I show him my old stomping grounds.  He is already aware of the importance of conserving resources (we  ride bikes to school often) and he makes sure we are recycling (have you ever been busted by a 6 year old for putting aluminum in the trash can? :)) 

Everything in the home is as it was in 1962; original single pane windows, leaking hot water heater, old furnace on its last leg, no insulation in ½ of the walls and little in the attic, inefficient appliances.  The main sewer line collapsed and most of the money tagged for energy improvements went to ensure we could continue to flush the toilets and use the sinks.  My position at work was eliminated; it seems dream of living in Boulder in an efficient home may be slipping from our grasp.  It is going to be a cold winter and we could really use the help.
  
Thank you for your consideration –
John Reichert

Posted by Shawn Lindabury

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Home Energy Makeover Second Place Winner: The Birkholz Family

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the EnergySmart Home Energy Makeover contest! Over the next few weeks we will share the stories of all our semi-finalists. Enjoy!
Check out the Colder Bolder Rap in Vimeo!

Our story, by the Birkholz Family

We’ve never wanted a big house - just a small house that was efficient, easy to maintain, safe, and close to excellent schools.  We’re almost there – we just need to address the insulation and mechanics of our new home.

Background:
Matt was born in Boulder and his folks still live in Devil's Thumb.  Moved to San Francisco after college, met Katie, and eventually (like a salmon returning to its original stream) moved back to Boulder to raise his own family.   

Katie, born in Atlanta, GA., studied Recreation Management, and took a job immediately after college with Vail resorts.  She met Matt while visiting family in SF.  A few years after moving to SF, she was easily convinced to move back to the most beautiful town in America to begin "our" life.

Beaumont was born just before moving to Boulder.  Beau, 4, has displayed an amazing affinity for not only Boulder, but for the neighborhood in which he now calls his own.

Xander, born in Boulder, is our little wrecking ball who gets a bad wrap for being a little lover trapped in a fighter's body. Xander has known nothing different than constant sun and tons of outdoor activities.