Hs 4c w13 sample by Hudson Ink

Get Sky-High Heating Bills More Down to Earth …page 2

Don’t Let Winter Whittle Your Lawn Away …page 2

Winter

The Plastic Meltdown

2013

…page 3

<Company>’s

Smart & simple ways to enrich your home living.

— Home Health — Stay Green During the Coldest Months

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. This causes ozone depletion and increased heating of the planet. And since global warming is now a worldwide concern, it pays to go green, in more ways than one. Here are a few tips for going green this season: Weatherize your home. By caulking around doorways and windows and replacing old weather stripping, you can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,700 pounds per year. Make sure your home has adequate insulation. This one step can save

My Word by <NAME>

25% on your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of CO2 per year. Maintain your HVAC system. Changing your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) 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 step saves 350 pounds of CO2 each year. If you don’t know how to change your filter, have a routine system check performed by a qualified HVAC technician (like ours!) and have him show you how to do regular filter changes in the future. Just give us a call – we’ll be happy to take care of this for you. Remember, green is about what you can save – energy dollars, carbon dioxide and, ultimately, our planet.

Visit www.<yourcompany>.comfort-tips.com for more great ideas for home & life, including: Money-Saving tips | Home & Organizing | Health & Food

Hello Friends, The weather may look bleak outside, but these are the coziest days for indoor living. Who doesn’t enjoy gathering in front of a roaring fire with a big bowl of chili? This is time of year when you want your home to be comfortable, so make sure your home comfort system is up to the challenge. If you’ve gotten your pre-season tune-up on your furnace, you’re in good shape. But, if you run into any heating

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<LOGO> Your Quick Call Comfort Hotline:

— S ec r e t s —

Don’t Let Winter Whittle Your Lawn Away — Do l l a r s M a k e sense —

Get Sky-High Heating Bills More Down to Earth

The cost of home heating

continues to hit the homeowner

harder each year. A home energy audit can help by pinpointing energy-wasting areas and

identifying ways to cut energy

costs. In fact, you can conduct a simple audit on your own by

following a few recommendations from the Department of Energy: • Check insulation levels in your attic, exterior and

basement walls, ceilings, floors and crawl spaces.

• Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and

Time for Your System to Come Clean. Dirt is the #1 cause of comfort system failures. That’s why we recommend a Tune-Up before each high-use season. Your system will run more smoothly, use less energy and keep you comfortable year-round. Call <COMPANY> at <PHONE> today to schedule your Tune-Up.

plumbing fixtures, switches and electrical outlets. • Check for open fireplace dampers. • Check caulking and weather stripping and repair if necessary.

Warm weather may be

over but there’s still plenty to do to get your lawn ready for the months of shorter days and lower temperatures…

• Schedule an annual tune-up for your heat pump, furnace or boiler. • Seal and insulate leaky ducts to ensure that the airflow distribution system serving your heating equipment is operating at peak efficiency. Consider having us install a programmable thermostat that will automatically lower temperatures when heating is not needed, such as at night or during the day when the home is unoccupied. When you call for a tune-up, ask for an estimate of how much you can save with a new energy efficient system.

Less Is More OK, first things first: clean up the yard. Sure, many people feel that leaves add to their lawn’s seasonal and aesthetic appeal. But the truth is leaves that aren’t raked can actually suffocate the grass beneath.

— S oc i a l ly spe a k i n g —

Natural Disasters Can Bring a Second Wave of Destruction

After major natural disasters,

there’s always concern about “fraud.” Along with the country’s outpouring of compassion and donations comes the few who

seek to take advantage. Beware the following: Price Gouging. Significantly increased prices are illegal and should be reported to the proper authorities. Charity Fraud. When considering charitable contributions, the FTC recommends that you:

— B u c k l e Down —

Keep Evergreens Green

The Plastic Meltdown

Ever notice how your evergreens tend to brown once spring comes around? It’s because of a process known as desiccation. Basically, the trees dry out over the winter because of sun and wind exposure. And since the ground is frozen, the trees can’t get that lost moisture back. To help, wait as long as you can before giving them one last heavy watering for the season. Baby Your Trees Sunscald can occur when the temperature fluctuates quickly. This often happens on those random days in winter when the temperature might be warm in the sun during the day, but returns to sub-freezing once the sun goes down at night. Newly planted trees can be protected from this by wrapping their trunks in burlap or plastic wraps – just check your local lawn care or hardware store.

•

cardholders 18 and older say they pay less than the full amount, but more than the minimum required. •

redit cards are quick and easy – • Seek help from lenders. If debt but if you want to avoid a personal has indeed financial crisis, cut become overthe cards and do $ whelming, contact Get the your best to get out lenders to see if Best Service We Can of debt. they will consider Offer. What Should lowering their You Do? interest rates as For your next heating and you try to get cooling system repair, we’d like • Pay bills on back on track. time. Pay more to make things easier on your

25 Off

than the minimum due and never miss a payment. In a 2012 survey by AARP, 32% of

winter or dread the thought of it, the reality is that it can take its toll on your vehicle if you don’t take the right precautions…

support the cause

• Verify that the charity has authorized the solicitation.

Prepare Your Vehicle Now for Winter Travel Whether you anxiously await

of your donation will

solicitation.

wallet. Clip this coupon for a $25 savings on your repair bill. Then call us and we’ll give you our best service. Call <COMPANY> at <PHONE>.

(Source: http://www. creditcards.com/ credit-card-news/ credit-card-industryfacts-personal-debtstatistics-1276.php)

— HOT NEWS NOW —

Ask what percentage

described in the

Make a list of purchases. By writing down expenditures, you will be able to see just why it is you’re in debt, and where your budget could use a little tightening.

Motor Oil Musts • Engines work harder in winter because oils and greases become thicker when it’s cold. For cold months, you’ll want to

consider synthetic oil rather than conventional motor oil because it still flows at temperatures up to -60° to -70°. Frostbite Fritz • Make sure you check antifreeze levels and the effective working temperature of the product you’re using. Otherwise, you risk engine failure from frozen, expanded water in your vehicle’s systems. Battery Basics • In very cold weather, your battery’s power output can be diminished to as little as 10 percent. Think about replacing your car battery sooner rather than later. 3

My Word trouble, just call and we’ll give you a hand. You’ll also want to pay special attention to home safety practices, such as installing smoke alarms. And never leave a fire in the fireplace unattended! Until spring’s bright days bring us together again, stay warm and stay safe. In the meantime, bundle up and enjoy!

Scan M e!

…continued from page 1 Sincerely, <SIGNATURE> <NAME> P.S. In this newsletter, we’ve included great tips for your home. After reading, please feel free to pass it along to family and friends. And don’t forget to save big by checking out the coupons!

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to view <your company’s> special online offer. Don’t have a smartphone? Visit <your website> for more information.

<LOGO>

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage

<PHONE>

PAID

Smart & simple ways to enrich your home living.

CO-OP LOGO Optional

Permit ##### Montgomery, AL

A $420 Cash Trade-In for Your Old Energy-Wasting Furnace? Seriously? Think of it as a win-win for staying warm and saving energy. This is a way to beat high energy prices, plus get paid for your old trade-in to help train our techs.

Connect —

energy-wasting furnace. I’ll give you a completely free, noobligation Energy Survey of your current system. It may not need replacing but we’ll give you free suggestions on how to save energy.

Right now, you can get a superefficient heating and cooling system You must call <COMPANY> at before the price increases (while <PHONE> to schedule your free supplies last). Plus, $420 on your old Energy Survey.

M O r e S av i n g s a n d G r e at N ews

—

Want to see more home and savings tips? Visit our HomeSense portal at

<yourcompany>.comfort-tips.com. You’ll find energy saving tips for the coming

season, plus articles covering the hottest

topics in home, health and savings news.

<yourcompany>.comfort-tips.com.