How the Consumer Energy Efficiency Program Has Many Left “Out in the Cold”

Jan. 6, 2010 - PRLog -- Houston, TX - With many American’s being pushed by big-box retailers to take advantage of the new Consumer Energy Tax Credits, the Fresh Air Club’s President and CFO, Marc Tillery, recently discussed how Energy Star’s Consumer Energy Efficiency Program may not have considered the financial sensitivities of consumers in this economic environment, and points to a simpler way to make steps toward energy conservation and savings.

“The concept behind the Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Program is simple – make a substantial vehicle or home improvement investment now and see the savings in the future”, says Mr. Tillery. “The only problem is that many American’s may not be in a financial position in 2010 to make such an investment. This means they can’t participate.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (AARA) only applies the purchase of Hybrid car or SUV vehicles, Home improvements - specifically central air conditioner, heat pump, furnace or boiler, windows, insulation and sealing that are Energy Star compliant, and Energy Star Ground-source heat pumps. This legislation does not offer tax credits to the general consumer for their participation in energy savings programs (i.e. CFL Replacement or Air Filter Replacement Programs) or recycling programs (i.e. discount off reduce/reuse programs that have ongoing costs associated with them).

Currently, there are no federal tax incentives available to the general consumer/ non-homeowner for such reduce/reuse efforts under the ARRA of 2009, and it is the consensus many that this disenfranchises a significant number of Americans – especially those that are not homeowners and those homeowners who cannot afford such costly improvements at this time, particularly in light of the housing market, foreclosure, and credit situation.

“In our open letter to Congress in May of 2009, we addressed the need to incentivize consumers to participate in energy efficiency programs and recycling programs via delivery services, like the air filter replacement program offered by the Fresh Air Club or the CFL Bulb replacement program offered by Waste Management. We see this as a great way to include many more Americans as part of the ‘green’ process and drive many more transactions that would benefit the small business, the economy in general, and the planet as a whole.”

As the economy continues its “limp” out of the recession of 2008-2009, the Wall Street Journal reported “the economy is likely to grow at a steady but unspectacular 3% pace in 2010.” This would mean that unemployment is projected to still be around 9.9% at the end of this fiscal year, leaving many American’s uneasy about their financial security which is a key driver of durable goods purchases, such as those covered in the AARA.  Mr. Tillery went on to say that “while a percentage of consumers understands they might have to pay more for energy efficient services, the current economy may stagnate the growth of the ‘green’ sector – revenue, jobs creation, and survival for new entrants into this business segment if incentives are focused only on durable goods and large businesses that directly benefit from their sale.”


At the same time, there has been a dominate focus on health care in the recent months– specifically preventative measures to help off set the rising costs of illness and treatments. Mr Tillery points out that “just by changing the air filter in your home, a person can help prevent many of the underlying causes of airborne illness, asthma related attacks, and chronic breathing irritations.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks Poor Indoor Air Quality among the top five environmental risks to public health. In that same report, EPA studies showed some indoor levels of pollutants may be 25 times, and occasionally more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. In a separate report issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services, they estimated 25% of preventable illness can be attributed to poor indoor health quality. Air pollution alone is associated with 50,000 premature deaths and more than $40 Billion dollars in health-related costs.

“We offered a policy solution that would help raise more awareness to the impacts of Poor Indoor Air Quality and provides an increased incentive for participation in a program like the Fresh Air Club that makes replacing and recycling their home air filter more consistent and convenient”, said Mr. Tillery. “Not changing your air filters on a schedule impacts your health, and  is like throwing 15% of your electricity away every month – not to mention the unnecessary damage you are causing to your central air conditioning system that will only increase your maintenance and repair costs over time.”

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The Fresh Air Club (http://www.freshairclub.com) is the ONLY residential air filter home delivery and recycling service, offering its Members scheduled shipments of high efficiency, MERV-11rated filters on a shcedule of 90, 60, or 30 day plan through-out the year to help their families keep their indoor air quality fresh, clean, and free from harmful pollutants while at the same time recycling each filter through an innovative pre-paid return and tracking system that results in 0% local landfill impact. The company's appeal and success is centered on the convenient and eco-friendly business model that addresses poor indoor air quality of homes - one of America’s top 5 risks to public health, according to the Environmental Protection Agency – and the requirement for more companies to offer “green” solutions.

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