Monday, February 15, 2010
Don't miss your chance for an HVAC tax credit!
Blinson Service Company, your source for Air Conditioning Raleigh, would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the Economic Stimulus Plan Tax Credit that’s still available until December 31, 2010 on the installation of higher efficiency HVAC systems. American Standard has many products that will qualify and depending on the type of system, homeowners can receive up to a $1,500 tax credit. Progress Energy and Duke Energy also have some rebate programs in addition to the tax rebate, along with ductwork rebates. There has never been a better period of time to maximize your savings on a new HVAC system than right now!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Free thermostat?
Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter! We try to make it brief and informative with timely coupons. We are also beginning a monthly drawing for our customers. We’ll be giving away an energy-savings Digital, Programmable Thermostat to start. Suggestions are gladly accepted. Please sign up for the newsletter at www.bschvac.com and you’ll be automatically entered into the monthly drawing.
BSC to sell American Standard HVAC equipment!
Blinson Service Company, Inc. would like to take this time to let you know how much we appreciate your business. We know that this past year has been a difficult one for everyone and we feel that it is a privilege to be your service provider.
As you already know, we service all brands of heating and air conditioning equipment; however Trane has been our main product line. Trane was purchased by the American Standard Company many years ago and even though the equipment was American Standard, they wanted to keep the Trane name because of the brand recognition. Both brands are manufactured at the same assembly plant on the same assembly line. Since we had been a Trane dealer for over 20 years, we did not want to confuse our customers with a name change; we decided to keep the Trane name as our main product line instead of switching to the American Standard name even though it was the same equipment.
In 2008 American Standard/Trane was purchased by the Ingersoll Rand Corporation. This acquisition put American Standard and Trane under their umbrella. It has also allowed us to now offer American Standard equipment at a lower price than before.
In order to continue to provide top of the line equipment and first class service, Blinson Service Company, Inc has reached an agreement with a local distributor in Raleigh to sell the American Standard brand of heating and air conditioning equipment as our main product line. We have been a business partner with this distributor for over 20 years and they have proven time and time again to be a leader in customer service. We continue to believe in the Trane name and look forward to working with American Standard and you! Please feel free to review their website for further information
We are excited about this move for us because it will affect you, our valued customer, in a positive way. We will be able to offer the best equipment on the market, American Standard, at a better price than before. Not many businesses can offer that anymore…better service for less. We are your source for HVAC Raleigh!
As you already know, we service all brands of heating and air conditioning equipment; however Trane has been our main product line. Trane was purchased by the American Standard Company many years ago and even though the equipment was American Standard, they wanted to keep the Trane name because of the brand recognition. Both brands are manufactured at the same assembly plant on the same assembly line. Since we had been a Trane dealer for over 20 years, we did not want to confuse our customers with a name change; we decided to keep the Trane name as our main product line instead of switching to the American Standard name even though it was the same equipment.
In 2008 American Standard/Trane was purchased by the Ingersoll Rand Corporation. This acquisition put American Standard and Trane under their umbrella. It has also allowed us to now offer American Standard equipment at a lower price than before.
In order to continue to provide top of the line equipment and first class service, Blinson Service Company, Inc has reached an agreement with a local distributor in Raleigh to sell the American Standard brand of heating and air conditioning equipment as our main product line. We have been a business partner with this distributor for over 20 years and they have proven time and time again to be a leader in customer service. We continue to believe in the Trane name and look forward to working with American Standard and you! Please feel free to review their website for further information
We are excited about this move for us because it will affect you, our valued customer, in a positive way. We will be able to offer the best equipment on the market, American Standard, at a better price than before. Not many businesses can offer that anymore…better service for less. We are your source for HVAC Raleigh!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
ACCA Tells Obama: HVACR is Key to Energy Efficiency
In a letter sent to President Barack Obama this week, before delivering his State of the Union address tonight, ACCA President Paul Stalknecht said that, while current tax incentives may have missed the mark, HVACR contractors are still well positioned to aid in the nation's energy efficiency efforts. The text of the letter is below. Hope you like it! Jeanna Blinson (Blinson Service Center)
January 26, 2010
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
As your administration considers job creation policies, I would like to recommend an expansion of the energy efficiency incentives available to homeowners. By lowering the minimum standards for qualified equipment and ensuring that new systems are installed properly, homeowners are guaranteed to see a payback through lower utility bills, better indoor air quality, and fewer emitted greenhouse gases.
In the stimulus package passed earlier last year, Congress provided tax incentives for homeowners to purchase higher-efficiency heating and cooling systems in 2009 and 2010. Since these systems amount to nearly half of the average home’s utility bill, to an outsider, these tax breaks look like a win-win. High-efficiency systems can dramatically lower energy usage, and nothing that consumers do will have as big an impact on reducing American energy dependence than by replacing old, inefficient heating and cooling units.
Unfortunately, thanks to some little-known requirements and prescriptions in the legislative language, these tax credits are adding up to a missed opportunity. By aiming too high, the incentives may have missed the mark entirely.
As many contractors know, homeowners are only eligible for the energy tax credit if the central air conditioner model they select meets minimum efficiency metrics of 16 SEER and 13 EER. However, there are millions of homes in this country with old, inefficient HVAC systems of 10 SEER or lower. Without proper maintenance and repairs, these systems are likely performing at even much lower energy-rating levels.
According to the 2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, 39 percent of residential central air conditioners and 60 percent of residential heating equipment are more than 10 years old.
Replacing a central air conditioner system is an expensive proposition for a homeowner. The cost difference between a higher efficiency 16 SEER system and a basic 13 SEER system far exceeds the $1,500 maximum tax credit. Today, many homeowners are struggling simply to replace their existing systems with just the minimum equipment. How can anyone expect them to upgrade to the much higher, more efficient equipment? The $1,500 incentive is only an incentive for those who can afford the higher-priced units. In many respects, it’s outside the financial reach for most middle income homeowners.
While homeowners in some markets are benefiting from this program, there are many in other markets who simply can’t afford to participate. Many homeowners are choosing to keep inefficient equipment running – through patchwork repairs – instead of replacing it, due to the much higher prices for higher SEER systems.
If the tax credits encouraged homeowners to purchase equipment that meets the lower EnergyStar™ standard (14 SEER/11 EER), we’d wind up with a lot fewer energy hog homes, much lower utility bills, reduced emissions, and a dramatic change in our usage of foreign energy sources. This level would provide the vast majority of American homeowners an attainable opportunity to upgrade their current HVAC systems and make a significant contribution to our nation’s energy conservation efforts.
Finally, I’d like to add that these goals will only be reached if the new equipment is installed properly. You cannot assume that a box with a rating stamped on the side will actually operate at the level the stamp claims. As we in the industry know, nothing could be farther from the truth. I shudder to think how many homeowners will receive a $1,500 tax break on a system that winds up being less efficient than the one they replaced – all because it wasn’t installed properly. Homeowners – and the entire country – would be better served if the credits incentivized the proper installation of EnergyStar™ HVAC systems.
Homeowners want to take advantage of energy efficiency improvements because they increase the value of a home and result in greater comfort. Your administration’s support for these adjustments to the federal incentives to reflect current market conditions would put HVAC upgrades back within reach for many American homeowners, and produce job opportunities for the entire HVAC industry.
Sincerely,
Paul Stalknecht
President and CEO
January 26, 2010
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
As your administration considers job creation policies, I would like to recommend an expansion of the energy efficiency incentives available to homeowners. By lowering the minimum standards for qualified equipment and ensuring that new systems are installed properly, homeowners are guaranteed to see a payback through lower utility bills, better indoor air quality, and fewer emitted greenhouse gases.
In the stimulus package passed earlier last year, Congress provided tax incentives for homeowners to purchase higher-efficiency heating and cooling systems in 2009 and 2010. Since these systems amount to nearly half of the average home’s utility bill, to an outsider, these tax breaks look like a win-win. High-efficiency systems can dramatically lower energy usage, and nothing that consumers do will have as big an impact on reducing American energy dependence than by replacing old, inefficient heating and cooling units.
Unfortunately, thanks to some little-known requirements and prescriptions in the legislative language, these tax credits are adding up to a missed opportunity. By aiming too high, the incentives may have missed the mark entirely.
As many contractors know, homeowners are only eligible for the energy tax credit if the central air conditioner model they select meets minimum efficiency metrics of 16 SEER and 13 EER. However, there are millions of homes in this country with old, inefficient HVAC systems of 10 SEER or lower. Without proper maintenance and repairs, these systems are likely performing at even much lower energy-rating levels.
According to the 2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, 39 percent of residential central air conditioners and 60 percent of residential heating equipment are more than 10 years old.
Replacing a central air conditioner system is an expensive proposition for a homeowner. The cost difference between a higher efficiency 16 SEER system and a basic 13 SEER system far exceeds the $1,500 maximum tax credit. Today, many homeowners are struggling simply to replace their existing systems with just the minimum equipment. How can anyone expect them to upgrade to the much higher, more efficient equipment? The $1,500 incentive is only an incentive for those who can afford the higher-priced units. In many respects, it’s outside the financial reach for most middle income homeowners.
While homeowners in some markets are benefiting from this program, there are many in other markets who simply can’t afford to participate. Many homeowners are choosing to keep inefficient equipment running – through patchwork repairs – instead of replacing it, due to the much higher prices for higher SEER systems.
If the tax credits encouraged homeowners to purchase equipment that meets the lower EnergyStar™ standard (14 SEER/11 EER), we’d wind up with a lot fewer energy hog homes, much lower utility bills, reduced emissions, and a dramatic change in our usage of foreign energy sources. This level would provide the vast majority of American homeowners an attainable opportunity to upgrade their current HVAC systems and make a significant contribution to our nation’s energy conservation efforts.
Finally, I’d like to add that these goals will only be reached if the new equipment is installed properly. You cannot assume that a box with a rating stamped on the side will actually operate at the level the stamp claims. As we in the industry know, nothing could be farther from the truth. I shudder to think how many homeowners will receive a $1,500 tax break on a system that winds up being less efficient than the one they replaced – all because it wasn’t installed properly. Homeowners – and the entire country – would be better served if the credits incentivized the proper installation of EnergyStar™ HVAC systems.
Homeowners want to take advantage of energy efficiency improvements because they increase the value of a home and result in greater comfort. Your administration’s support for these adjustments to the federal incentives to reflect current market conditions would put HVAC upgrades back within reach for many American homeowners, and produce job opportunities for the entire HVAC industry.
Sincerely,
Paul Stalknecht
President and CEO
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